The ameliorative effect of methanol extract of leaves on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats.

Plants are a rich source of antioxidants that are produced naturally. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the plant in the attenuation of paracetamol (PCM) hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Twenty-four male albino Wistar rats weighing between 200 and 250 g were divided into four groups, with six rats each. Group 1 served as the control group, receiving just distilled water. Groups 2 and 3 received orally 250 mg/kg bwt/day PCM and 300 mg/kg bwt/day methanol extract of leaves for two weeks, respectively. For group 4, the leaf extract was pre-administered for 1 week before receiving 300 mg/kg bwt/day leaves extract and 250 mg/kg bwt/day PCM for 2 weeks. As a marker of liver damage, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured. Liver tissue reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and catalase activities were utilized to determine antioxidant state, while malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was employed as a lipid peroxidation indicator. When compared to the control group, the activities of serum AST, ALT, SOD, and MDA levels were considerably ( < 0.05) higher in the PCM group, although GSH level and GST and catalase activities were significantly lower. In comparison to the PCM group, co-administration of PCM with extract decreased serum AST and ALT activities. This study shows that the leaf extracts of protects Wistar rats' livers from PCM-induced oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant enzymes.