Effect of Roots of Origanum majorana in Methanolic and Ethyl Acetate Extracts on CCl4-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rat

Abstract

To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of different solvent extracts of Origanum majorana. The root materials were shade dried and were extracted in a soxhlet apparatus successively with ethyl acetate and methanol. The solvent was removed by the process of distillation and the crude extract was dried under vacuum. The extracts were subjected to hepatoprotective activities, the extract producing significant activity was column chromatographed. The extract was preliminarily screened using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to know the types of compounds present in the extracts. TLC was developed in n hexane: ethyl acetate solvent systems of different polarities and then plates were visualized under Iodine vapour exposure, UV short wave 254 nm and long wave 366 nm. Plates were sprayed with a solution of visualizing reagent 10% H2SO4 in methanol followed by heating in an oven at 110°C for up to five minutes. The methanolic extracts of Origanum majorana at different doses, Silymarin and Drug vehicle were administered p.o in sodium carboxy methyl cellulose suspension. The serum was used for the estimation of various biochemical parameters like SGOT, SGPT, ALKP, TBL, CHL, TPTN and ALB. The results clearly depicted that CCl4 intoxication in normal rats elevated the serum levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALKP, TBL and CHL, where as decreased the levels of TPTN, ALB significantly when compared to control indicating acute hepatocellular damage and biliary obstruction leading to necrosis.