Hepatoprotective Effects of the Leaves of Agauria salicifolia against Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury in Mice

摘要

Agauria salicifolia (Ericaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used for the treatment of liver ailments. The present study investigates the hepatoprotective effect of the residual aqueous fraction (RAF) of Agauria salicifolia on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver damage. The ethanol extract obtained as maceration of the dried leaves, was fractionated into hexane, ethyl acetate and residual aqueous fractions. Adult mice of both sexes were pre-treated with the reference drug silymarin (50 mg/kg) or RAF (100 and 200 mg/kg) during 6 days followed by a single administration of APAP (500 mg/kg) on day 7. The hepatoprotective effect and the contribution of antioxidant activities were evaluated by determining the level of transaminases in serum samples, the levels of proteins, nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase in liver homogenates. Histological analyses of liver slides were also performed. RAF at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg and silymarin significantly (p 0.001) decreased serum level of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. RAF showed no effect on liver weight and its SOD content but significantly inhibited the increase in proteins (p 0.01), NO (p 0.01) and MDA (p 0.001) induced by APAP while silymarin significantly reduced all these parameters. RAF and silymarin also significantly (p 0.05) increased the GSH and catalase content in the liver as compared to the APAP treated group. The vascular congestion, leukocyte infiltration and loss of hepatocytes and liver architecture observed in the liver tissue of disease control mice were corrected in animals treated with RAF. Therefore, it can be concluded that RAF possesses hepatoprotective activities that might be mediated at least partially by its antioxidant effects.