Aqueous partition of methanolic extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaves protects against liver damage induced by paracetamol

• Main Authors: Kamisan, F.H (Author), Nasir, N.M (Author), Salleh, M.O (Author), Teh, L.K (Author), Zakaria, Z.A (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019
• Subjects: Acetaminophen; alanine aminotransferase; animal; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; Animals; antioxidant; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Article; aspartate aminotransferase; bilirubin; biochemical analysis; blood sampling; body weight; catalase; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; chemistry; controlled study; Dicranopteris linearis; Dicranopteris linearis extract; DPPH radical scavenging assay; drug effect; Endogenous antioxidant enzymes; fern; Free radical scavenging activity; Hepatoprotective; histopathology; IC50; lipoxygenase; liver; Liver; liver injury; liver protection; liver toxicity; liver weight; male; Male; malonaldehyde; metabolism; nonhuman; oxygen radical absorbance capacity; paracetamol; phenol; Phenolic derivatives; phytochemical; plant extract; Plant Extracts; plant leaf; Plant Leaves; rat; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; saponin; Saponins; Sprague Dawley rat; superoxide dismutase; toxic hepatitis; Tracheophyta; triterpene; Triterpenes; unclassified drug; vascular plant; xanthine oxidase
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus

 This study aimed to determine the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of semi-purified aqueous partition obtained from the methanol extract of Dicranopteris linearis (AQDL) leaves against paracetamol (PCM)-induced liver intoxication in rats. The test solutions, AQDL (50, 250, and 500 mg/kg), were administered orally to rats (n = 6) once daily for seven consecutive days followed by the hepatotoxicity induction using 3 g/kg PCM (p.o.). Blood was collected for serum biochemical parameters analysis while the liver was collected for histopathological examination and endogenous antioxidant enzymes analysis. AQDL was also subjected to antioxidant determination and phytochemical analysis. Results obtained show that AQDL possessed high total phenolic content (TPC) value and remarkable radical scavenging activities. AQDL also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the liver weight/body weight (LW/BW) ratio or serum level of ALT, AST, and total bilirubin while significantly (p < 0.05) increase the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) without affecting the malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver indicating its hepatoprotective effect. Phytoconstituents analyses showed only the presence of saponins and triterpenes, but lack of flavonoids. In conclusion, AQDL exerts hepatoprotective activity via its high antioxidant potential and ability to modulate the endogenous enzymatic antioxidant defense system possibly via the synergistic action of saponins and triterpenes. © 2019 by the authors.