Abstract

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF TRIDEX PROCUMBENS L. AGAINST POLLUTED WATER INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN ALBINO RATS

Kewal Kumar* and Suneel Singh Barheyan

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Abstract

To isolate the hepatoprotective active compounds from the methanolic extract of Tridex Procumbens L. & to investigate its possible hepatoprotective activity against polluted water induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats The use of plants as a source of remedies for the treatment of many diseases dated back to prehistory & the people of all the continents have this old tradition. Tridex Procumbens L. is a medicinal plant traditionally used as an abortifacient & to treat constipation, oedema, bacterial infection, cancer & diabetes. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant showed the presence of large amounts of Terpenoids, phenolics & flavonoids. The rats were divided into six groups of six animals in each group. Group 1. Served as a normal control received only distilled water. Group 2. Served as a diseased control & received polluted water orally for 10 days to induce hepatic damage. Group 3 & 4 served as test groups & received 100 & 200 mg / kg bw of the 90% methanolic extract of Tridex Procumbens L. respectively. Group 5. Served as a standard & received silymarin at a dose of 100 mg / kg b.w. Different hepatic biochemical parameters viz. Aspartate transaminase (AST), Alanine transaminase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Total proteins, Bilirubin, Body weight before & after treatment were evaluated to investigate the hepatoprotective activity. Among different hepatic biochemical parameters total proteins were reported less in group 2 i-e in diseased group as compared to the normal control. Rests of the parameters were significantly increased in diseased group which is the prime indication of hepatic damage. Administration of 200 mg /kg b.w of Tridex Procumbens L. effectively reduced these pathological damages & promotes the body weight in albino rats. The results of the present investigation indicate that the methanolic extract of Tridex Procumbens L. possesses good hepatoprotective activity.

Keywords: Tridex Procumbens L., Hepatoprotective, Polluted water, Silymarin