HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF CANNA INDICA ROOT ON PARACETAMOL INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Liver is an important organ and a central one for many of the metabolic functions of the body, decomposition of toxic and waste substances, and disposal of harmful substances from the body. Liver illnesses are still the serious problem of human health. Canna indica commonly known as an Indian shot, extensively used as a nutritive agent & has a number of valuable pharmacological activities. People find its place in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, but attempts have not made to describe the hepatoprotective activity of this plant. The present work emphasizes the comprehensive ethano-medicinal uses of Canna indica root to enlighten its phytochemical constituents and hepatoprotective activity of this plants. To authenticate the traditional medicinal claim of investigation has been undertaken to evaluate the hepatoprotective activities of Canna indica plant. Administration of paracetamol and different extracts of Canna indica showed no mortality or morbidity in the animals during the period of study. The values of AST, ALT, ALP, and total bilirubin were all substantially raised by paracetamol. Significant hepatoprotective effects were obtained by pretreatment with Canna indica methanol extract. Histopathological examination of the liver tissues of paracetamol control group represented the. Pretreatment with Canna indica extract reversed histopathological alterations such as presence of marked foci of mononuclear infiltration in the hepatic parenchyma tissue, necrosis, and fatty changes of hepatocytes. Maximum recovery was shown by the group that received 200 mg/kg of methanol extract of Canna indica.