title: Protective effect of Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats.
abstract: The hepatoprotective potential of Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. was evaluated in male Wistar rats against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in preventive and curative models. Toxic control and n-hexane extract-treated rats received a single dose of CCl4 (150 microL/100g, 1:1 in corn oil). Pre-treated rats were given n-hexane extracts at 200 and 100 mg/kg dose 48, 24 and 2 h prior to CCl4 administration. In post-treatment groups, rats were treated with n-hexane extract at a dose of 200 and 100 mg/kg, 2, 24 and 48 h after CCl4 intoxication. Rats pre-treated with Lygodium flexuosum remarkably prevented the elevation of serum AST, ALT, LDH and liver lipid peroxides in CCl4-treated rats. Rats treated with the extract after the establishment of CCl4 induced liver injury showed significant (p < or = 0.05) protection of liver as evidenced from normal AST, ALT, LDH and MDA levels. Hepatic glutathione levels were significantly (p < or = 0.05) increased by the treatment with the extracts in both the experimental groups. Histopathological changes induced by CCl4 were also significantly (p < or = 0.05) reduced by the extract treatment in preventive and curative groups. Phytochemical studies revealed the presence of saponins, triterpenes, sterols and bitter principles in Lygodium flexuosumn-hexane extract which could be responsible for the possible hepatoprotective action.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Ethnopharmacology Lab, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695014, India.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wills
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Asha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D029624:Ferns / Q000737:chemistry*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D005978:Glutathione