HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT FROM INFLORESCENCE AND POLLEN GRAINS OF CASUARINA EQUISETIFOLIA AGAINST PARACETAMOL INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN WISTR RATS

India is the largest producer of the medicinal plants and is rightly called the “Botanical Garden of the world”. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of Inflorescence (IA) and Pollen grains (PA) of Casuarina equisetifolia belongs to the family of Casuarinaceae against Paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. The aqueous extract of Casuarina equisetifolia IA and PA (250mg/kg and 500mg/kg. p.o.), were administered respectively to the animals. The drug Paracetamol (2g/kg. p.o.) was used to induce the hepatotoxicity and the drug Silymarin (25mg/kg. p.o.) was given as the reference standard. The plant extract was effective in protecting the liver against the hepatotoxicity induced by the Paracetamol in rats. This was evident from the significant reduction in serum enzymes like Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (TB) levels. It was concluded from the result that the aqueous extract of Casuarina equisetifolia IA and PA possesses good hepatoprotective activity against Paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats.