Free radical scavenging and hepatoprotective activity

Free radical scavenging and hepatoprotective activity of jigrine against galactosamine induced hepatopathy in rats.

Najmi AK, Pillai KK, Pal SN, Aqil M.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi 110 062, India.

Jigrine a polypharmaceutical herbal hepatoprotective formulation containing aqueous extracts of 14 medicinal plants is used in Indian system of medicine (Unani). Jigrine was evaluated for its hepatoprotective activity against galactosamine induced hepatopathy in rats. Galactosamine induced hepatotoxicity resembles human viral hepatitis. Biochemical parameters like AST, ALT and urea in serum, TBARS and glutathione in liver and whole blood glutathione were estimated to assess liver function. DPPH-free radical scavenging activity of jigrine was also evaluated. Biochemical data exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity of jigrine against galactosamine. Silymarin used as reference standard also exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity against galactosamine. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections.

PMID: 15740890 [PubMed - in process]