Abstract

Methanolic stems bark extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum (SBSJ) was evaluated for hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) - induced hepatic damage in rats. The extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) was administered orally to the animals with hepatotoxicity induced by CCl₄ (30%, 1.0 ml/kg). In vitro antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated by using superoxide (O₂^.-) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) radical scavenging assay. At a concentration of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, the extract showed a remarkable hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver injury in a concentration dependant manner. This was evident from significant reduction (P< 0.05) in serum marker enzymes, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin and lipid peroxidation. It was also observed that the extract of S. jollyanum stem bark conferred a significant (P < 0.05) protection against CCl₄ – induced total protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) depletion in the liver. The plant extract restored the activities of the marker enzymes to near normal. In vitro antioxidant assay showed that SBSJ inhibit superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide radicals with IC₅₀values of 13.11 and 30.04 µg/ml, respectively.  The present study indicated that methanolic extract of S. jollyanum possessed hepatoprotective activity against CCl₄- induced liver damage and this effect may be due to its strong antioxidant property.

Key words: Antioxidant, Spenocentrum jollyanum, carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄),hepatoprotective.