HEPATOPROTECTIVE EVALUATION OF EPALTES DIVARICATA (L.) CASS. WHOLE PLANT EXTRACTS AGAINST PARACETAMOL-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS
<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The plant of <strong><em>Epaltes</em></strong><strong> <em>divaricata </em>(L.) </strong>Cass.<strong> Traditionally used for jaundice. </strong>The present work aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of alcohol and aqueous extract of the whole plant against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats to substantiate its traditional use.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The alcohol and aqueous (200 and 400 mg/kg) extract of <em>Epaltes divaricata</em> prepared by cold maceration were administered orally to the animals with hepatotoxicity induced by paracetamol (1000 mg/kg). Silymarine (40 mg/k) was given as reference standard. Hepatoprotective activity was assessed by estimating marker enzymes and by histopathological studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both alcohol and aqueous (200 and 400 mg/kg) extract treatment significantly restored the paracetamol-induced elevations in levels of serum enzymes aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphate (ALP) and total bilirubin in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological examination revealed that the treatment attenuated the paracetamol-induced damage to the liver. The hepatoprotective effect of both extracts was comparable to that of the standard hepatoprotective agent, silymarin.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The alcohol and aqueous extract of <em>E. divaricata</em> exhibited hepatoprotective effect against paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats. This study also validated their traditional medicinal use in jaundice.</p>