Protective Effect of Coccinia Indica Leaf Extract against Alcohol Combined with Carbon Tetrachloride and Paracetamol Induced Liver Damage in Rats

Liver is a major metabolic organ affected by various toxins and chemicals. So the potential therapeutic agent is needed for the treatment of liver diseases. Natural products are the best source of remedies for the treatment of all diseases.The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of leaf extract of Coccinia indica against Alcohol combines with CCl4 and Paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity.The effects of oral treatment with Coccinia indica (CI) leaf extracts (100mg/kg and 200mg/kg for 7 days) were studied on hepatic damage induced by alcohol (40% alcohol 2.0ml/100g, p.o. for 21 days) and CCl4 (0.1ml/kg, s.c. on 20 th day) and also with paracetamol ( 750mg/kg ip.) in rats. Biochemical parameters in serum like glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), total Billirubin (TB), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total proteins (TP) were estimated to assess the liver function. Alcohol – CCl4 and paracetamol treatment produced an increase in SGOT, ALP, Total billirubin and decrease in total proteins indicating the liver damage. These effects were progressively reduced (SGOT, ALP and Total billirubin) and increased (Total proteins) by treatment doses of (100mg/kg and 200mg/kg) CI leaf extracts. These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver sections. CI leaf extract protected the liver from alcohol-CCl4 and paracetamol induced hepatic damage. INTRODUCTION: Liver has a pivotal role in regulation of physiological processes. It is involved in several biochemical pathways related to growth, nutrient supply, metabolism, secretion and storage. Liver diseases are mainly caused by toxic chemicals (certain antibiotics, chemotherapeutics, peroxidised oil, aflatoxin, CCl4, excess consumption of alcohol, high doses of paracetamol and infections). Nearly 150 phytoconstituents from 101 plants have been claimed to possess liver protecting activity 4, . Only a small portion of the hepatoprotective plants as well as formulations used in traditional medicines are pharmacologically evaluated for their efficacy. Several plants were reported as hepatoprotective against hepatotoxicity in animals. Some of the polyherbal formulations are verified for their hepatoprotective action against chemical induced liver damage in experimental animals 5, . Although, rats orally fed with alcohol develop fatty changes in the liver, they do not develop the more severe forms of liver injury seen in humans, namely