Abstract

HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANT ON CCL4 INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE IN WISTAR RATS

Syed Inayath Hussain*, Urooj Fatima, Tahmina Sultana, Sushma Attuluri, Syeda Amtul Aleem Afifa and Amtul Aziz Afia

ABSTRACT

Plants and plant extracts have been used since the dawn of civilization by mankind. The uses of ethno botanical preparations for various reasons justified or not, are still continued by various cultures all over the world. Considering structural and biological diversity of terrestrial plants, they offer a unique renewable resource for the discovery of potential new drugs and modern medicine has developed a rational strategy for drug discovery which involves the study of plants and plant materials based on their ethno botanical usage (Cordell et al., 1991). Natural products are sources of active compounds that may be useful in the development of new and potent drugs. Ficus religiosa L., Moraceae, is widely planted in the tropics. The chemical constituents of F. religiosa include tannin, saponin gluanol acetate, β-sitosterol, leucoanthocyanidin, and leucoanthocyanin. These are used for the treatment of pain, inflammation, impotence, menstrual disturbances, and urine related problems, and as uterine tonic. The present study aimed to evaluate hepatoprotective effects of F. religiosa linn on ccl4 induced liver injury in Wistar rats.

Keywords: Ficus religiosa, Ethanolic extract, Hepatoprotective activity, CCl4 induced liver damage, Ursocol.