Abstract

The hepatoprotective properties of methanolic extract of Carica papaya stalk on albino rat were evaluated. To achieve this, the phytochemical screening of the extract was carried out and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) (i.p) was injected into albino rats to liver damage. The rats were simultaneously given oral doses of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg/kg (p.o) of methanolic extract of C. papaya stalk. The effects of this extract on liver total protein concentration, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotranferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase activities of the rats were studied after 7 days period of the experiment. Administration of CCl₄ alone to rats significantly increased (p < 0.05) total protein concentration and the activities of the transferases studied in the serum when compared with controls which received distilled water (p.o). Simultaneous treatment of CCl₄ injection and oral administration of different doses of the C. papaya stalk extract significantly reduced (p < 0.05) total protein concentration, activities of liver transferases studied. However, the lowest significant reduction (p < 0.05) of total protein concentration and the transferases was observed with simultaneous administration of 100 mg/kg of the extract on the rats. This study suggests that the extract of C. papaya stalk possesses the phytochemicals with antioxidant properties which might be responsible for it capacity to protect the liver from oxidative damage.

Key words: Hepatotoxicity, phytochemical, liver, Carica papaya, rat.