Hepatoprotective and in vivo Antioxidant Effects of Careya arborea against Carbon tetrachloride Induced Liver Damage in Rats

The present study was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect of the Methanol Extract of Careya arborea Roxb (MECA) (Family- Myrtaceae) stem bark in Wistar albino rats. The different groups of animals were administered with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (30 % CCl4, 1 mL Kg 1 b. wt. in liquid paraffin 3 doses (i.p.) at 72 h interval). The MECA at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg Kg 1 and silymarin 25 mg Kg 1were administered to the CCl4 treated rats. The effect of MECA and silymarin on serum transaminase (GOT, GPT), Alkaline Phosphates (ALP), bilirubin, uric acid and total protein were measured in the rats induced hepatotoxicity by CCl4. Further, the effects of the extract on Lipid Peroxidation (LPO), enzymatic antioxidant (Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT)), and nonenzymatic antioxidant (Glutathione (GSH), vitamin C and vitamin E) were estimated. The MECA and silymarin produced significant (p < 0.05) hepatoprotective effect by decreasing the activity of serum enzymes, bilirubin, uric acid, and lipid peroxidation and significantly (p < 0.05) increased the levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, vitamin C, vitamin E and protein in a dose dependent manner. From these results, it was suggested that MECA possess potent hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties.