Hepatoprotective and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Hydro-alcoholic Extract of Oxalis debilis Kunth. Leaves

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Oxalis debilis (ODHE) leaves. Acute oral toxicity evaluated ODHE in graded oral doses (100, 500, 1000, 3000, and 5000 mg/kg body weight) in rats. The hepatoprotective activity was evaluated in CCl4 intoxicated rats at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight doses of ODHE, while anti-inflammatory activity was determined by carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats at 200, 400, 800 mg/kg body weight doses of ODHE. The ODHE was safe at the highest dose of 5000 mg/kg in experimental rats. In hepatoprotective activity, ODHE significantly reduced the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TB) levels as compared to the CCl4control group. On the other hand, ODHE showed an anti-inflammatory effect similar to that of the control group in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. The histopathological findings showed a significant difference between the ODHE (400 mg/kg) and CCl4 groups. The present experiment showed that ODHE has significant hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities. Results confirm the use of O. debilis in folk medicine in the treatment of hepatotoxicity and inflammation.