Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of caesalpinia bonducella on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats

The present study was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect of the methanol extract of Caesalpinia bonducella (MECB) (Family: Caesalpiniaceae) in Wistar albino rats. The different groups of animals were administered with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (30 % CCl4, 1 ml/kg b. wt. in liquid paraffin 3 doses (i.p.) at 72 h interval). The MECA at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg and silymarin 25 mg/kg were administered to the CCl4 treated rats. The effect of MECB and silymarin on serum glutamyl pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), Serum glutamyl oxalacetic acid transaminase (SGOT) Serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP), bilirubin, uric acid and total protein were measured in the CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Further, the effects of the extract on lipid peroxidation (LPO), enzymatic antioxidant (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)), and non enzymatic antioxidant (glutathione (GSH), vitamin C and vitamin E) were estimated. The MECB and silymarin produced significant (p < 0.05) hepatoprotective effect by decreasing the activity of serum enzymes, bilirubin, uric acid, and lipid peroxidation and significantly (p < 0.05) increased the levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, vitamin C, vitamin E and protein in a dose dependent manner. From these results, it was suggested that MECB possess potent hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties.