DETERMINATION OF TOTAL PHENOLIC, FLAVONOID, ALKALOIDAL CONTENTS AND IN VIVO SCREENING FOR HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF CUSCUTA EPITHYMUM (L.) L WHOLE PLANT AGAINST CCL4 INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE ANIMAL MODEL

摘要

Objective: The development of antihepatotoxic drugs being a major thrust area has drawn the attention of workers in the field of natural product research because synthetic drugs may cause serious side effects. The present research was aimed to study the in vivo hepatoprotective activity of methanolic extract of Cuscuta epithymum (L.) L whole plant, which was used traditionally in Chittoor and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh, by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatotoxicity animal model using albino rats and standard drug silymarin. Methods: The levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST/SGOT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT/SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (T. BILI.) were determined to assay hepatotoxicity. CCl4administration caused severe hepatic damage in rats as evidenced by elevated serum AST, ALT, ALP and T. BILI. levels. The C. epithymum and silymarin administration prevented the toxic effect of CCl4on the above serum parameters in both preventive and curative models. Results and Conclusion: The present study concludes that, methanolic extract of C. epithymum has significant hepatoprotective activity against CCl4induced hepatotoxicity by suppressing CCl4induced cellular oxidative stress, which support folkloric utilization and further confirmed by the histological investigation. The observed activity may be associated with its high bioactive compounds including flavonoids, alkaloids, triterpenoids, glycosides, steroids and carbohydrates