Abstract
The present study was investigated to evaluate the hepato-ameliorating and antioxidant activity of two aqueous extracts of Solanum nigrum (SN) against CCl4-induced toxicity in rats. Male Albino rats were divided in four groups with 8 animals in each group. Group (1) was normal group and group (2) was injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) with CCl4 (1ml/kg) 3 times weekly for 2 weeks (control). Group (3) was injected with CCl4 and then treated with extract from whole plant of Solanum nigrum (500 mg/kg) and group (4) was injected with CCl4 and then treated with extract from fruits of Solanum nigrum (250 mg/kg). CCl4 injection enhanced activity of hepatic enzymes (AST and ALT) while it decreased serum total protein and albumin in experimental animals. It also decreased RBC, platelets count, PCV and Hb levels. However it increased WBC count. CCl4 injection increased level of lipid peroxidation resulting in a decrease in the level of enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidants. Treatment with two extracts of Solanum nigrum altered these changes to near normal levels. Buthepato-ameliorating and antioxidant effects of extract of Solanum nigrum fruits were found to be better than those of extract from whole plant of Solanum nigrum.
Highlights
Various studies have demonstrated that carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxication causes free radical generation in many tissues such as liver, kidney, heart, lung, testis, brain and blood (Rechnagel et al, 1989; Kumar et al, 2005; Khan and Ahmed, 2009 and Khan et al, 2009)
Biochemical results: The activity of serum ALT and AST were highly significant increased while serum albumin was significantly decreased and serum total protein was highly significant decreased in control group (CCl4) as compared with normal group as shown in Table (2)
The activities of liver GSH and catalase were significantly increased but super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity was highly significant increased in group (G3) treated with CCl4 and Solanum nigrum extract, but there was a highly significant increase in activities of liver GSH and catalase and a significant increase in SOD activity in group (G4) treated with CCl4 and extract of Solanum nigrum fruits when compared with control group
Summary
Various studies have demonstrated that carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxication causes free radical generation in many tissues such as liver, kidney, heart, lung, testis, brain and blood (Rechnagel et al, 1989; Kumar et al, 2005; Khan and Ahmed, 2009 and Khan et al, 2009). CCl4 has been commonly used as a hepatotoxin in experimental hepatopathy (Hsu et al, 2008 and Geetha et al, 2008) because it induced a cirrhotic response in animals which is similar to human cirrhosis of the liver (Taira et al, 2004; Lee et al, 2007 and Rudnicki et al, 2007). CCl4-induced hepatic injury has been extensively used in animal models to evaluate the therapeutic potential of drugs and dietary antioxidants (Hsu et al, 2010). Solanum nigrum fruit extracts are reported to have hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced hepatic damage (Raju et al, 2003).
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