Hepatoprotective effect of herbal drug on CCl4 induced liver damage

Abstract

Herbs have been a huge source of natural substances used to treat and prevent several illnesses; therefore it is vital to identify the probable toxicity that might take place as a consequence of using herbal combinations. This study was undertaken in rabbits to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of herbal drug in normal and CCl4induced hepatic damage. Herbal drug was tested in 3 different doses, each group comprising of seven rabbits of either sex followed by the administration of CCl4 with herbal drug and saline for 45 days. Liver function tests and histopathological evaluation were carried out at the end of dosing using standards kits. The result shows that normal dose of herbal drug (0.43 ml/kg) possess hepatoprotective effects against CCl4 induced liver damage in rabbits which may be due to the various active ingredients present in herbal drug combination. Present study also suggests that there was a significant (p<0.05) increase in serum alkaline phosphatase and γ-GT in animals kept on high dose of herbal drug (10 ml/kg); however studies on huge number of animals and humans are requisite before reaching to definite conclusion.