In vivo hepatoprotective activity of root aqueous extract of ven sivathai ver choornam (operculina turpethum) in ccl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats

A simple and effective RP-HPLC method The study was considered to assess the hepatoprotective activity of pre-treatment with aqueous extract of Ven sivathaiverchoornam (O. turpethum) against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rat model. Liver damage was induced in experimental animals by administering CCl4. The aqueous extract of O. turpethum (60 and 100 mg/kg, po) was given for five days. Silymarin (100 mg/kg, po) was specified as the reference drug. Hepatoprotective result was recorded by assaying the activities of serum marker enzymes like SGPT, SGOT, ALP, and bilirubin and cholesterol. The actions of all the marker enzymes recorded a significant elevation in CCl4 treated rats, which were significantly recovered towards an almost normal level in animals administered with aqueous extract of O. turpethumroot at a dose of 60 and 100 mg/kg. Aqueous extract of O. turpethum root not permitted decrease in the excretion of ascorbic acid in CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The results indicate that aqueous extract of O. turpethum possess hepatoprotective property. This property may be attributed to the related flavonoids, terpenoid and phenolic compounds present in the root of O. turpethum.