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.
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