%0 Journal Article
%T Hepatoprotective Activity of Coccinia grandis Leaves Against Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatic Injury in Rats
%A J. Anbu Jeba Sunilson
%A M. Muthappan
%A Amitava Das
%A R. Suraj
%J International Journal of Pharmacology
%D 2009
%I Asian Network for Scientific Information
%X Coccinia grandis Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) is a perennial branched handsome tendril climber, distributed through out India. It has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of jaundice. The aim of this work was to study the hepatoprotective effect of crude ethanolic and aqueous extracts from the leaves of C. grandis against liver damage induced by CCl4 in rats. The ethanolic extract at an oral dose of 200 mg kg -1 exhibited a significant (p<0.05) protective effect as shown by lowering serum levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and total cholesterol and increasing levels of total protein and albumin levels as compared to silymarin, the positive control. These biochemical observations were supported by histopathological examination of liver sections. The activity may be due to the presence of flavonoid compounds. The extracts showed no signs of acute toxicity up to a dose level of 2000 mg kg -1. Thus it could be concluded that ethanolic extract of C. grandis leaves possesses significant hepatoprotective activity.
%K Indian traditional medicine
%K extracts
%K protective
%K Cucurbitaceae
%K silymarin
%U http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/ansinet/ijp/2009/222-227.pdf