Saka W A, Akhigbe R E, Ishola O S, Ashamu E A, Olayemi O T, Adeleke G E
Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Pak J Biol Sci. 2011 Jul 15;14(14):742-6. doi: 10.3923/pjbs.2011.742.746.
There is a lack of reliable hepatotherapeutic drugs in modern medicine in the management of alcohol/drug-induced liver damage. Aloe vera extract has been used in folklore medicine for its medicinal values. This study evaluates the hepatotherapeutic activity of aqueous extract of Aloe vera gel in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups; the negative control, positive control and the extract-treated groups. The negative control received only distilled water daily. The positive control received alcohol, while the extract-treated group received aqueous extract of Aloe vera and alcohol. Hepatotoxicity was induced in the positive control and extract-treated rats with alcohol. The hepatotherapeutic effect was evaluated by performing an assay of the serum total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate and alanine transaminases and liver histopathology. Alanine transaminase activities were comparable in all groups. Alcohol treatment alone significantly (p < 0.05) increased total serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminase activities. Alcohol-induced hepatic dysfunction was abrogated by Aloe vera extract. Histopathological examination revealed that alcohol induced hepatic damage. Aloe vera treatment maintained hepatic architecture similar to that seen in the control. This study shows that aqueous extract of Aloe vera gel is hepatotherapeutic and thus lends credence to the use of the plant in folklore medicine in the management of alcohol-induced hepatic dysfunction.
在现代医学中，治疗酒精/药物性肝损伤时缺乏可靠的肝脏治疗药物。芦荟提取物因其药用价值已被用于民间医学。本研究评估了芦荟凝胶水提取物对大鼠的肝脏治疗活性。将Sprague-Dawley大鼠分为三组：阴性对照组、阳性对照组和提取物处理组。阴性对照组每天仅给予蒸馏水。阳性对照组给予酒精，而提取物处理组给予芦荟水提取物和酒精。用酒精诱导阳性对照组和提取物处理组大鼠产生肝毒性。通过检测血清总胆红素、碱性磷酸酶、天冬氨酸和丙氨酸转氨酶以及肝脏组织病理学来评估肝脏治疗效果。所有组的丙氨酸转氨酶活性相当。单独酒精处理显著（p<0.05）增加了血清总胆红素、碱性磷酸酶和天冬氨酸转氨酶活性。芦荟提取物消除了酒精诱导的肝功能障碍。组织病理学检查显示酒精诱导了肝损伤。芦荟治疗使肝脏结构维持与对照组相似。本研究表明芦荟凝胶水提取物具有肝脏治疗作用，因此证实了该植物在民间医学中用于治疗酒精性肝功能障碍的合理性。
