Abstract

AMELIORATION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS BY ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF THE FRUIT OF LAGENARIA SICERARIA IN RABBITS CONSISTING OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY

Dr. Karunakar Kota*, Sandhya Sharma, Dr. Jameela Tahashildar

ABSTRACT

In recent years, there has been an increased interest globally to identify the plant origin with free radical scavenging properties and have great importance as therapeutic agents in several diseases due to oxidative stress. Hence, the present study was investigated on hepatoprotective activity and amelioration of oxidative stress in Carbon tetrachloride induced (CCl4) hepatotoxic rabbits by ethanolic extract of the fruit of Lagenaria siceraria (EELS). METHODS: Hepatotoxicity was induced in rabbits by administration of CCl4 (3ml/kg, i.p). CCl4 induced rabbits were pre-treated with different doses of EELS (100, 200, 400mg/kg b.w, p.o) and Silymarin (100mg/kg b.w, p.o) as a standard reference drug for 21 days. The hepatoprotective activity was assayed by measuring the serum marker enzymes, biochemical parameters and antioxidant activity was measured by lipid peroxidation and antioxidant levels. RESULTS: Administration of EELS reduced the lipid peroxidation and restored the antioxidants, serum enzymes as well as these biochemical parameters significantly. The amelioration of oxidative stress was evidenced by a decrease in lipid peroxidation and an increase in the antioxidant parameters. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that EELS possesses hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity in CCl4-induced hepatotoxic rabbits. Therefore the EELS can be used for prevention and treatment of liver disorders and its complications.

Keywords: Hepatoprotective activity, Lagenaria siceraria, silymarin, oxidative stress.