Acta Pharm. 59 (2009) 89-96
Short communication
Hepatoprotective
effects of Calotropis gigantea
extract against carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury in rats
GAURAV
LODHI, HEMANT KUMAR SINGH, KAMLESH K. PANT and ZEASHAN HUSSAIN
1Department
of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Medical University,
Lucknow, India-226003
2
Hygia Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Faizullahganj,
Lucknow, India-226020
Accepted January 14, 2009
Ethanolic extract (50 %)
of stems of Calotropis gigantea R.
Br. (Asclepiadaceae) at doses of 250
and 500 mg kg-1 were studied for
hepatoprotective activity in male Wistar rats with liver damage induced using carbon
tetrachloride, 2 mL kg-1 twice a week. The protective effect of C. gigantea extract was compared with
the standard drug silymarin. Various biochemical parameters such as aspartate
amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), glutathione (GSH), lipid
peroxide (LPO), superoxidedismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and
catalase (CAT) were evaluated. The results revealed that the C. gigantea extract significantly
decreased AST, ALT (p < 0.001) and
lipid peroxide (p < 0.01) levels.
The antioxidant parameters GSH, GPx, SOD and catalase levels were increased
considerably compared to the levels in groups treated with carbon tetrachloride
only.
Keywords: Calotropis gigantea (Asclepiadaceae), hepatoprotective activity, serum
enzymes, antioxidants