Hepatoprotective activity of Eclipta alba against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats

Abstract

Background: Despite the tremendous scientific advancement in the field of gastroenterology over the recent years, there is not even a single effective allopathic medication available for the treatment of liver disorders. Hence, the study was conducted to elucidate the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of traditional medicinal plant Eclipta alba against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) induced toxicity in male albino rats. Methods: The hepatoprotective effect of the aqueous extracts of E. alba was evaluated by biochemical parameters such as serum alanine transferases (ALT), serum aspartate transferases (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total serum bilirubin, and serum protein, and confirmed by histopathology of liver. The hepatotoxic agent CCl 4 was used to induce liver toxicity and silymarin was used as a control drug. The aqueous extracts of E. alba were administered at the doses of 250 mg/kg/day and 500 mg/kg/day orally for 4 days. One-way Analysis of Variance was used for the statistical analysis of data. A probability value of p<0.05 was considered as significant. Results: E. alba administration at doses 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg orally demonstrated significant hepatoprotective activity by preventing the increase of ALT, AST, ALP, and serum bilirubin and also confirmed by histopathology of the liver. The results were comparable to that of silymarin. Conclusion: The results of the study confirmed the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extracts of E. alba at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg against CCl 4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats. However, the dose adjustments may be necessary to optimize the similar hepatoprotective efficacy in clinical settings.