Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Solanum indicum Linn Berries.

Abstract

In the present investigation, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of the crude ethanolic extract of Solanum indicum Linn berries were studied. The total antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract was investigated in linoleic acid emulsion system. Total phenolic and flavonoid content of the extract was also determined by a colorimetric method. Acute hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by administering CCl4 dissolved in Tween 80 for 14 days. Animals treated with the vehicle alone served as control (Group I). Another group of animals were given orally CCl4 at a concentration of 2ml/kg body weight once daily (Group II) for 14 days. The experimental animals were pre-treated with the extract of Solanum indicum (at a dosage of 200 mg/kg body weight) for 7 days and the treatment continued for another 7 days along with CCl4 (Group III). The same method was followed for Group IV animals except that they were treated with the standard drug, silymarin (50 mg/kg body weight). The animals were sacrificed on 15th day and the degree of liver protection was determined by estimating the levels of serum marker enzymes such as alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The biochemical parameters like total protein, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, triglycerides and urea were also estimated. The results revealed that S.indicum Linn berries extract possessed significant inhibitory activity on peroxides formation in linoleic acid emulsion system in a dose-dependent manner. A marked elevation of serum marker enzyme levels in CCl4 treated rats was observed, which was returned to near normal values in the drug treated animals. The results of this study strongly indicated that the hepatoprotective effect of the plant extract is possibly related to its marked antioxidant activity.