Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Effect of Pluchea Wallichiana Linn on Carbon Tetrachloride induced Hepatotoxicity in Experimental Rats

Human liver is the most essential visceral organ in body concerned with synthesis, excretion, metabolism and detoxification  of diverse exogenous and endogenous substance.^1,2 However, multiple conditions, including viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, long term alcohol abuse and chronic use of medications can cause injury in which regenerative capacity becomes dysfunctional resulting in liver damage.³ Despite the recent therapeutic advances and significant development of modern medicine, hepatic diseases remain a health problem worldwide. Thus, the search for the new therapeutic agents to treat liver disease is still in demand. ⁴

Cause of hepatotoxicity are Infection – Hepatitis-A, Hepatitis-B & Hepatitis-C, Alcohol abuse.^5,6 Genetic disorder – Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Hereditary hemochromatosis & wilson disease, Other chronic disease – High cholesterol, Diabetes & Hypertension Autoimmune cause – Primary biliary cirrhosis, Primary sclerosing cholangitis & Autoimmune hepatitis, Other causes - Chronic use of drug or  over dose of drug – NSAID, Anti TB drug,  Anticancer drug, Antipsychotic drug. Pluchea wallichiana has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine systems for various ailments, including respiratory problems, fever, inflammation, and pain Plant has been reported for its Anti-microbial activity.^7-9

Hepatoprotection, or the protection of the liver damage, is increasingly important today due to several modern lifestyle and  environmental factors (Alcohol Consumption, Environmental Toxins, Increased Use of Processed Foods and Additives) that put the liver under constant stress. Pluchea species such as P. indica, P. lanceolate, and P. quitoc have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties due to their chemical components, which include flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolics, and tannins.¹⁰ The plant is known to have good antioxidant potential might be attributed to presence of flavonoids. Antioxidant potential can exert good hepatoprotection. And hence, the proposed work is planned to evaluation effect of leaf methanolic extract of the plant on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity.¹¹

Therefore, investigate the effect of Pluchea wallichiana on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats and evaluate the Pharmacological screening for hepatoprotective activity of prepared leaf extract.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Table 1: Experimental design

Fresh leafs of Pluchea wallichiana was collected, clean properly, dried at 50-60° C for 1.5 hours, and grind into powder format. Weight the powdered plant material (80gm), and place it in a clean glass container. Load the powdered plant material into the thimble of the Soxhlet apparatus. Add sufficient methanol to the round-bottom flask. Heat the setup to allow the solvent to continuously circulate through the plant material for 24 hours. After 24 hours collect the methanolic extract in the flask.

Experimental method:

All the animals used in the experiment were approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC).  The disease was induced by carbon tetrachloride to the animals. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl?) is used to induce hepatotoxicity because it causes liver damage similar to that seen in human liver diseases. After administration, CCl? is metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 enzymes to form a reactive trichloromethyl radical (CCl?•). In the presence of oxygen, this radical forms trichloromethyl peroxy radicals, which initiate lipid peroxidation and damage the cell membranes. This leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, and necrosis of liver cells. Continuous exposure results in fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma, making it a suitable agent for experimental liver injury models.

Evaluation Parameter:

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

1. Effect of MPW of liver enzyme levels of animals:

The levels of ALP, ALT, AST and Total bilirubin were significantly increased in the disease group compared to the normal group and it is decreased in standard and test group compared to the disease group. While the levels of total protein  was significantly decreased in the disease group compared to the normal group and it is increased in standard and test group compared to the disease group.

2. Effect of MPW of lipid profile of animals:

The levels of lipid profile, LDL, Triglycerides and Total Cholestrol  was significantly increased in the disease group showing in the  compared to the normal group and it is decreased in standard and test group compared to the disease group. Statistical significance denoted as (*-p< 0.05, **-p<0.01 and ***-p<0.001 compared to the disease control group.

3. Effect of MPW of antioxidant level of animal