title: Hepatoprotective properties in the rat of Mitracarpus scaber (Rubiaceae).
abstract: The effect of Mitracarpus scaber on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage in the rat has been evaluated. Results showed that treatment with Mitracarpus scaber decoction resulted in significant hepatoprotection against CCl4-induced liver injury both in-vivo and in-vitro. In-vivo, Mitracarpus scaber pretreatment reduced levels of serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (P < 0.01 for 250, 500 and 1000 mg kg(-1)) and serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (P < 0.05 for 250 mg kg(-1) and P < 0.01 for 1000 mg kg(-1)) previously increased by administration of CCl4. In-vitro results indicated that addition to the culture medium of Mitracarpus scaber extracts significantly reduced glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (P < 0.05 for 100 microg mL(-1) and P < 0.01 for 10 and 1000 microg mL(-1)) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (P < 0.05 for 10 microg mL(-1)). Mitracarpus treatment also resulted in a good ( > 93%) survival rate for the CCl4-intoxicated hepatocytes as demonstrated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Moreover, as in the in-vitro assay, Mitracarpus scaber had radical-scavenging properties, shown by its reaction with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50, the extract concentration resulting in a 50% reduction in the absorbance of DPPH blank solution, = 41.64+/-1.5 microg mL(-1)). The results of this study showed that Mitracarpus scaber had antihepatotoxic potential, a finding which supports the validity of traditional usage of this drug in Mali for the treatment of liver diseases.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaco-Biological Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Germanò
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanogo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fulco
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Torre
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Viscomi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Pasquale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D019666:Rubiaceae
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride