Phaleria macrocarpais one of the Indonesian herbal plants which has been shown to have a hepatoprotective effect. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of water extract of mahkota dewa (Phaleria macrocarpa) in liver fibrosis and to elucidate its mechanism of action. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 8 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=5), i.e., control group, CCl4 group, CCl4 + NAC group, CCl4 + various doses of water extract ofPhaleria macrocarpa(50, 100, and 150 mg/kg body weight). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), liver histopathology, malondialdehyde (MDA), ratio GSH/GSSG, Tumor Necrosis Factor- (TNF-)α, and Transforming Growth Factor- (TGF-)β1were analyzed.This study demonstrated that water extract ofPhaleria macrocarpaand NAC significantly protected CCl4-induced liver injury as demonstrated by reduced AST, ALT, ALP, and fibrosis percentage compared with the CCl4-only group. In addition, water extract ofPhaleria macrocarpaand NAC significantly reduced the levels of MDA, TNF-α, and TGF-β1as well as increasing the ratio of GSH/GSSG. Water extract ofPhaleria macrocarpaprevents CCl4-induced fibrosis in rats. The prevention of liver fibrosis was at least in part through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and through its capacity to inhibit hepatic stellate cells (HSC) activation by reducing fibrogenic cytokine TGF-β1.
Hepatoprotective effect of Xiayuxue decoction ethyl acetate fraction against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice via inducing apoptosis and suppressing activation of hepatic stellate cells
