STRUCTURE ELUCIDATION AND ANTIHEPATOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF CIS AND TRANS ISOMERS OF PIPERINE ISOLATED FROM DRIED FRUITS OF PIPER LONGUM

The two pure phytochemicals characterized as cis-piperine and trans-piperine isolated from the dried fruits of Piper longum were tested for antihepatotoxic activity at the dose of 50 mg/kg orally respectively, against silymarin as a standard reference. The toxicity was induced by CCl_4, and then various biological parameters such as AST, ALT, ALP, SOD, GPx, GSH, total protein, total albumin and total bilirubin were measured at 134.24 IU/L 71.96 IU/L, 375.02 IU/L, 37.02 U/g, 17.02 U/g, 29.12 U/g, 1.95 g/dl, 1.09 g/dl, 4.16 g/dl respectively. The phytochemicals cis-piperine and trans-piperine showed significant antihepatotoxic activity. Both cis-piperine and trans-piperine exhibited antihepatotoxic activity by reducing the increased levels of serum AST by 90.14%, 91.19% ALT by 82.65%, 58.12% and ALP by 97.37%, 92.23% when compared with standard drug silymarin that have decreased AST by 91.64%, ALT by 89.92%, ALP by 94.54%, respectively, and by elevation in the antioxidants SOD, GPx, and GSH) respectively, and total albumin, total protein. The overall experimental results have suggested that the both the isomers of piperine possessed significant antihepatotoxic activity as well as antioxidant effects on the experimental albino male rats of Wistar strain.