HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF DORSTENIA BRASILIENSIS AGAINST ACUTE HEPATITIS INDUCED BY ACETAMINOPHEN AND CARBON TETRACHLORIDE IN MICE

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of extract of D. brasiliensis (CEDb) on acute liver injuries induced by both acetaminophen, and carbon tetrachloride in mice as an initial step to validate its popular use. A liquid-chromatography method coupled to Mass Spectrometry showed the presence of coumarins dorstenin, bergapten, and psoralene in CEDb. Swiss albino male mice were pre-treated orally with CEDb and then injected with paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride. Animals were sacrificed, and serum was separated for measuring the activity of transaminases and alkaline phosphatase. Increased serum level of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) induced by both acetaminophen (350 mg/kg i.p.) and CCl₄ (1% in sunflower oil v/v, i.p.) administered to mice were attenuated by oral pre-treatment with CEDb (50.0, 100.0, 200.0 and 300.0 mg/kg). In the paracetamol-induced liver injury, the influence of doses of CEDb configured a dose-dependent-like effect. Moreover, in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury, a non-dose-dependent effect was observed. Based on these results, we concluded that D. brasiliensis provoked a protective effect on chemically-induced acute liver injury in mice. The active compound(s) and mechanism of protection is unknown and encourages us to pursue complementary studies.