EVALUATION OF HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ROOT EXTRACTS OF AEGLE MARMELOS IN CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Herbal medicines are effective in the treatment of various ailments. Very often these drugs are unscientifically exploited and / or improperly used. Therefore plant drugs deserve detailed studies in the light of modern science. The detailed investigation and documentation of plants used in local health traditions and pharmacological evaluation of these plants and their taxonomical relatives can lead to the development of invaluable plant drugs for many diseases. The present study has made an attempt to demonstrate the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous and alcoholic root extracts containing and in protecting the CCl₄ induced hepatocellular damage. The aqueous root extract of Aegle marmelos showed the presence of carbohydrates, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins and terpens, proteins and steroids. Significant amount of steroids were present. The alcoholic root extract of Aegle marmelos showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins and terpens, proteins and steroids. The aqueous and alcoholic extract of given root extracts at two dose levels 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight administered orally for five days to the CCl₄ challenged rats produced significant reversal of biochemical changes in liver and serum intoxicated by CCl₄ treatment. The aqueous and alcoholic extracts prevented wide range of tissue injury in CCl₄ challenged rats as evidenced by significant reduction in GOT, GPT, ALP, Total bilirubin and LPO levels. The aqueous and alcoholic extracts treated animals produced significant increase in the levels of total protein, GPx, GST, GRD, SOD and catalase in animals challenged with CCl₄.