Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Methanolic Extracts of Zilla spinosa and Hammada elegans Against Carbon Tetrachlorideinduced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Abstract

The detoxification, metabolism, and excretion of various endogenous and exogenous materials occur mainly in the liver. Liver diseases are a global concern, and classified as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatosis. The development of safe hepatoprotective agents remains an unmet need. Therefore, we investigated the antioxidant effects of methanolic and n-hexane fractions of Zilla spinosa (ZSM and ZSH, respectively) and Hammada elegans (HEM and HEH, respectively) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver toxicity in rats. Antioxidant activity was studied by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The rats were divided into 11 groups (n=6)–group, 1 (control), group 2 (CCl4 only), group 3 (CCl4+silymarin 10 mg/kg), group 4 (CCl4+HEM 250 mg/kg), group 5 (CC14+HEM 500 mg/kg), group 6 (CCl4+HEH 250 mg/kg), group, 7 (CCl4+HEH 500 mg/kg), group, 8 (CCl4+ZSM 250 mg/kg), group 9 (CCl4+ZSM 500 mg/kg), group 10 (CCl4+ZSH 250 mg/kg), and group 11 (CCl4+ZSH 500 mg/kg). Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, and total bilirubin were measured. The extent of hepatic injury was histopathologically assessed. Treatment with ZSM and ZSH at 250 and 500 mg/kg did not significantly affect biochemical results compared with the CCl4 only group. However, treatment with both HEM and HEH at 250 and 500 mg/kg provided significant (p<0.001) results compared with the CCl4 only group. These results were consistent with histological findings. HEM and HEH at 250 μg/mL significantly inhibited DPPH radical formation by 38.E6 and 35.65%, rerpectively. However antioxidant effects of ZSM and ZSH were insignificant.

Keywords

• z. spinosa
• h. elegans
• hepatoprotective