Abstract

HEPATOPROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF FICUS AURICULATA AND SARCOCHLAMYS PULCHERRIMA, TWO ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS USED BY THE MISHING COMMUNITY OF ASSAM

*B. K. Doley and B. B. Kakoti

Abstract

Liver, the largest organ in the body is the major site of intensemetabolic activities. Toxicity to the liver by various agents has beenrecognized as the major problem. Plant drugs practiced particularly incertain communities are playing an important role and there is aresurgence of interest in folkloric medicine for treatment of variousailments including hepatopathy and other related diseases. In the studythe effect of Ficus auriculata and Sarcochlamys pulcherrima, wereevaluated in carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Livernecrosis was produced by administering carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 1ml/kg, 50% v/v with olive oil, i.p.) The liver damage was evidenced byelevated levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamatepyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Bilirubin. The pretreatmentof both the plant extracts (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (P<0.001) reducedCCl4 induced elevations of the levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP and serum Bilirubin. Ficusauriculata and Sarcochlamys pulcherrima, (400mg/kg, p.o.) and Silymarin (25mg/kg, p.o.), aknown hepatoprotective drug showed almost similar results exhibiting hepatoprotective effectof the Plants.

Keywords: Hepatoprotection, Carbon tetrachloride, Silymarin.