title: Antioxidant and Nephroprotective Activities of Aconitum heterophyllum Root in Glycerol Induced Acute Renal Failure in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and nephroprotective activities of ethanolic extract of Aconitum heterophyllum root (EEAHR) in glycerol induced acute renal failure (ARF) in Wistar albino rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro antioxidant activity of EEAHR was assessed using the 2, 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH assay), nitric oxide radical scavenging (NO assay), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 assay) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) scavenging activity assays. In vivo study, rats were divided into four groups of six each for assessing the nephroprotective activity. Group-1 received normal saline, group-2 received 50% glycerol (10 ml/kg) alone, group-3 received glycerol and 250 mg/kg of EEAHR and group-4 received glycerol and 500 mg/kg of EEAHR. The renal injury and recovery was measured by serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total proteins, albumin, urine output and histopathological changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vitro antioxidant activity of root extract was found to be equal to Vitamin C and in an in vivo study root extract treated animals showed significant attenuation of biochemical parameters and histopathological changes of the kidney compared to glycerol treated group and it was found to be more significant with the extract at 500 mg/kg than 250mg/kg.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study revealed that Aconitum heterophyllum root has shown antioxidant and nephroprotective activities.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute , Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Venu Gopala Rao
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Konda
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute , Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Madhavi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eerike
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute , Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Lakshmipathy Prabhu
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Raghuraman
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute , Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Maignana Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rajamanickam
keywords: Aconitum heterophyllum root; Acute renal failure; Antioxidant activity; Glycerol; Nephroprotective