Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Hepacare®, a herbal formulation against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.
BACKGROUND
Hepacare(®) is a herbal formulation used to treat patients with sickle-cell anaemia complicated with jaundice, also recommended as a protective agent against liver damage due to chronic ingestion of alcohol.


METHODS
In vitro antioxidant properties of Hepacare(®) was determined using 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity, reducing power ability, and nitric oxide assays. Hepatoprotective effect of Hepacare(®) (50-400 mg/kg/day for 7 days, p.o.) was investigated in male Sprague Dawley rats against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4) /olive oil, 1:1, 0.7 ml/kg, i.p.)-induced liver damage. At the end of the study, blood samples and liver tissue were assayed for biochemical and antioxidants parameters.


RESULTS
Hepacare produced concentration dependent inhibition of DPPH and nitric oxide activity with IC(50) of 48.50 and 55.00 µg/ml, respectively, it suppressed the absorbance of ABTS(.+) with total antioxidant capacity of 423.47±8.37 mg QUE/g. CCl(4) administration induced significant (P<0.001) elevation of serum aspartate transaminase (1.70 fold), alanine transaminase (1.60 fold), alkaline phosphatase (2.90 fold) and bilirubin (2.00 fold) in comparison to control. The increase in serum biomarker were dose-depen-dently reversed by Hepacare(®) pretreatment. More-over, CCl(4) pretreatment increased (P<0.001) malondialdehyde (MDA) (73.98%) and decreased (P<0.001) antioxidant enzymes level but Hepacare pretreatment produced dose-dependent attenuation of the increased MDA (3.84 fold) with enhancement of glutathione (3.08 fold), superoxide dismutase (2.08 fold), and catalase (3.14 folds) levels in comparison to CCl(4) treated group, similar to those of silymarin reference standard.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepacare was beneficial in the prevention of CCl(4)-induced hepatocellular injury, possibly by scavenging reactive free radicals, and boosting endogenous antioxidant systems.
Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, -University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Ishola
Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, -University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Akinyede
Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, -University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Robert
Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Omilabu
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012838:Silymarin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride