Abstract

PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOLANUM NIGRUM LEAF EXTRACT: A PROMISING NATURAL RESOURCE FOR THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

S. M. Ishanthe*, P. Ma dhumaya devi, P. Saranya, Gopi and Dr. V. Kalvimoorthi

ABSTRACT

The present study was to investigate whether the extract from the fern Solanum nigrum possesses any preventive as well as curative role against CCl4 induced hepatic damages. CCl4 induced hepatic injuries are commonly used models for the screening of hepatoprotective drugs and the extent of hepatic damage is assessed by the level of released cytoplasmic alkaline phosphatase and transaminases in circulation. It is well documented that CCl4 is biotransformed under the action of microsomal cytochrome‐P450 of liver to reactive metabolites 31, 32. These free radicals bind covalently to unsaturated lipid membrane, provoking a sharp increase of lipid peroxides followed by pathological changes such as elevated levels of serum marker enzymes like SGOT, SGPT and SALP, depletion of GSH, decreased protein synthesis, triglyceride accumulation, increased lipid peroxidation, destruction of ca2+ homeostasis and finally hepatocyte damage. This suggests that CCl4 induces liver injury by sharing a common property of free radicalmechanism.

Keywords: Hepatoprotective, Solanum nigrum