title: Andrographis paniculata ameliorates carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-dependent hepatic damage and toxicity: diminution of oxidative stress.
abstract: Andrographis paniculata (hempedu bumi) is a plant that possesses many medicinal values in treating several diseases and for health care maintenance. However, its hepatoprotective activity and mechanism of action have not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of A. paniculata and its mechanism of action in rats. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) challenge of rats at a dose of 1.2 ml/kg body weight-induced oxidative stress in the liver. This was evidenced by augmentation in lipid peroxidation, which was accompanied by a decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and depletion in the level of reduced glutathione (P < 0.05). Parrallel to these changes, CCl(4) challenge too, enhanced hepatic damage as evidenced by sharp increase in serum transaminases (e.g. alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase) (P < 0.05). Additionally, the impairment of liver function corresponded to histolopathological changes. However, most of these changes were reversed in a dose-dependent fashion by pre-treatment of animals with A. paniculata (P < 0.05). The ability of A. paniculata to scavenge the 2,2-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical was determined through its EC(50) value. The EC(50) value of A. paniculata was 583.60 ± 4.25 µg/ml. In addition, A. paniculata was found to contain 65.37 ± 1.20 mg/g total phenolics expressed as gallic acid equivalent. From these studies, it is concluded that A. paniculata could be used as a hepatoprotective agent and possesses the potential to treat or prevent degenerative diseases where oxidative stress is implicated.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Pei Hoon
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Ruzaidi Azli Mohd
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mokhtar
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iqbal
mesh_terms: D035685:Andrographis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010851:Picrates / Q000378:metabolism; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D005978:Glutathione