Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of Strobilanthes kunthianus against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Background: Strobilanthes kunthianus Nees T Anders (Neela kurinji) is a shrub in the grasslands of Nilgiris, Western Ghats in India. It is well known for many biological properties including antioxidant. However, there is no in-vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities has been carried out previously on S. kunthianus. Objectives: The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of methanolic flower extract of S. kunthianus (MFESK) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatotoxicity in experimental rats. Materials and Methods: The Wistar rats were divided into six groups comprising six animals to each. Group I was served as normal control and group II as CCl₄ treated. Both these groups were received sodium CMC (0.3%, 5 ml/kg). Groups III, IV and V animals were treated with MFESK at different dose levels (100, 150 and 200 mg/kg). Group VI was treated with standard silymarin (100 mg/kg). All these treatments were given orally for eight consecutive days. On the 8^th day of treatment, except the normal group I, all the other group of animals from III to VI were received CCl₄ in liquid paraffin (1:1, 1 ml/kg, i.p., single dose) after 1 h of the vehicle. On the 9^th day, the animals were anesthetized and blood was collected from the abdominal artery, then the serum was separated and used for the biochemical estimations. Serum marker enzymes such as ASAT, ALAT, ALP, TGL, CR, TP, TC, TB and albumin were measured using Ecoline kits by using autoanalyzer. Further, blood serum and the supernatant solution of homogenized liver and kidney were used for the estimation of antioxidant parameters such as CAT, SOD and TBARS by spectrophotometrically. Results: The administration of CCl₄ caused a significant increase (P<0.001) in the levels of ASAT, ALAT, ALP, TGL, TC, TB and TBARS and decrease in the levels of CR, TP, Albumin, CAT and SOD in serum. A significant (P<0.001 and P<0.01) restoration of these values towards the normal level was observed in all the three tested doses of MFESK. Similar results were observed for CAT, SOD and TBARS in both liver and kidney tissues. These results designated the strong antioxidant and hepatoprotective nature of MFESK. The histopathological investigation of liver and kidney tissues also confirmed the observed activities. Conclusion: These findings afford incitement for the development of a novel hepatoprotective herbal drugs.