Hepatoprotective activity of Cleome viscosa Linn. extract against thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract

Cleome viscosa Linn. (Family Capparidaceae) is naturalised throughout the hot and moist parts of India. Fresh leaves of this plant are used very effectively for the treatment of jaundice in the folk medicines of the Bundelkhand region of India. The hepatoprotective activity of the ethanolic extract of leaves was investigated against thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The test material was found to be effectively hepatoprotective, as evidenced by biochemical parameters and histopathological studies. The hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic extract was comparable to that of silymarin, a standard hepatoprotective agent. The results of the present study support the traditional beliefs of the hepatoprotective effects of C. viscosa Linn.

Keywords:

• SGOT
• SGPT
• thioacetamide
• hepatoprotective

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their deepest thanks to Micro Labs Limited, Goa, India, for providing the gift sample of silymarin. The award of a junior research fellowship (UGC) to N.K. Gupta for undertaking these studies is thankfully acknowledged.