Role of plant metabolites in toxic liver injury.

Aphanamixis polystachya is a traditional medicinal plant of the Meliaceae family in India. A crude ethanolic extract of the leaf of this plant shows a beneficial effect on toxic liver injury. Its antihepatotoxic activity was evaluated on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in a rat model. The assessment of hepatoprotective activity was evaluated by measuring the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum total bilirubin and albumin and histology of the liver. The crude leaf extract significantly inhibits the enhanced ASAT, ALAT, ALP, ACP and LDH activities released from the CCl4-intoxicated animals. It also ameliorated the depressed value of serum albumin and the enhanced value of total bilirubin in plasma caused by CCl4 intoxication. The study showed that the crude ethanolic extract from A. polystachya leaves provided protection against acute carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage.