Abstract

IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF EXTRACTS AND SOLVENT FRACTIONS FROM BRUCEA SUMATARANA ROXB. (SIMAROUBACEAE) LEAVES IN EXPERIMENTAL WISTAR RATS

Cimanga K. R.*, Tshodi E. M., Kikweta M. C., Tona L. G., Tuenter E., Vlietinck A. J. and Pieters L.

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to evaluate of the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract and its solvent fractions, as well as methanol 80% extract and from Brucea sumatrana leaves in vitro on a large game of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and in animal model on tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damages in Wistar rats respectively. In antioxidant test, results revealed that all extracts and solvent fractions were found able to inhibit the activity of all selected ROS with IC50 values from 2.11±0.04 to 12.03±0.05 μg/mL. Methanol 80% extract showed high activity compared to aqueous extract and its solvent fractions while ethylacetate solvent fraction exhibited high activity confronted to chloroform, n-butanol and residual solvent fractions. In the evaluation of hepatoprotective activity, it was observed that the intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachlorure in rats caused significant damages of liver tissues characterized by high elevation levels of all biochemical parameters such as alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, alkaline phosphate and superoxide dismutase, urea and creatinine, and hematological parameters like albumin as biochemical parameter, total and direct biluribin, total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins and proteins, compared to toxic negative control. After the treatment of these intoxicated rats by oral administration of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of aqueous extracts and its solvent fractions as well as methanol 80% extract from Brucea sumatarana leaves to intoxicated rats, reached significant decrease of all biochemical and haematological and increase of total proteins parameters in dose-dependent manner and exerted thus, their hepatoprotective effect in intoxicated rats. In addition, treated of intoxicated rats with aqueous extract at the highest oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight, reached important gain of body weights of treated rats compared to negative control and no mortality of treated rats was observed.

Keywords: Brucea sumatarana, Simaroubaceae, leaves, extracts, solvent fractions, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.