H Hepatoprotective Activity of Piper crocatum (Ruiz &Pav.) Leaves Against Monosodium Glutamate -Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Abstract

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is widely used as additive in food. Excess consumption of MSG was reported to cause oxidative stress on liver resulted increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Without proper treatment, it can induce liver injury and fatal hepatic diseases, including cirrhosis. Red betel (Piper crocatum Ruis and Pav.) is one of Indonesia’s medicinal plants that has been known to exhibit antioxidant activity. The current study evaluated hepatoprotective effect of red betel leaves extract (RBLE) towards liver injury. Animals (n=5 per group) were randomly divided into five groups as follows: Group 1, control (distilled water); group 2, negative control, receive 7 mg/kg bw of MSG; group 3, receive oral 7g/kg b.w of MSG plus 200 mg/kg bw RBLE; group 4, receive oral 7g/kg b.w of MSG plus 400 mg/kg b.w RBLE and group 5, receive oral 7g/kg b.w of MSG plus 600 mg/kg b.w RBLE. The rats were sacrificed on twenty-ninth day of the experiment. Measuring serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanin aminotransferase (ALT) was done. Histopathological examination of liver was performed by calculated necrosis cell percentage. RBLE treatment (200 mg/kg b.w) decrease alanin aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase demonstrated increased compare to negative control. The histological findings revealed RBLE treatment were also able to decrease necrosis cells percentage. The study was able to demonstrate that RBLE treatment could decrease necrotic cell percentage. Low concentration of RBLE (200 mg/kg b.w) exhibit best anti-inflammatory properties and had the lowest ALT enzyme and increased live cell percentage by shifting cell death pathway from necrosis to apoptosis, and these indicating its antioxidant properties. These results could be used as a baseline in the purification of red betel bioactive components to be used for liver injury medication.
 Key words: Antioxidant, hepatoprotective, histopathology, liver enzymes, MSG, red betel.