Abstract:
The current study was designed to scrutinize the putative
hepatoprotective potential of the methanolic leaf extract of Ficus
hispida Linn. (FH) (400 mg kg-1 body weight) on cyclophosphamide
(CP) elicited oxidative injury in rat liver. CP administration (150 mg
kg-1 body weight, i.p., twice, in 2 consecutive days) caused
liver injury, featuring substantial increase in serum aspartate transaminase
(AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate
dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and bilirubin
levels. In contrast, treatment with FH significantly precluded all these
alterations. CP intoxicated rats depicted a remarkable oxidative stress,
as evidenced by a significant elevation in lipid peroxidation (LPO) with
a concomitant decrease in the GSH activity. These changes were coupled
with a marked decline in the activities of enzymic antioxidants [superoxide
dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase
(GST) and glutathione reductase (GR)] in the liver tissue of CP-administered
rats. FH treated rats displayed a significant inhibition of lipid peroxidation
(LPO) and augmentation of endogenous antioxidants. Taken together, these
findings emphasize the hepatoprotective effect of F. hispida
leaf extract against CP-induced oxidative liver injury. Hence, F.
hispida might serve as a promising medicinal herb in complementary
chemotherapeutic modalities.
T.S. Shanmugarajan, M. Arunsundar, I. Somasundaram, D. Sivaraman, E. Krishnakumar and V. Ravichandran, 2008. Ameliorative Effect of Ficus hispida Linn. Leaf Extract on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Oxidative Hepatic Injury in Rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 3: 363-372.
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