Assessment of Anti-Oxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Euphorbia Milii against Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatic Damage in Experimental Rats

Abstract

The plant Euphorbia milii (E. milii) is used as a folk medicine for the treatment of hepatitis, warts and cancer. However, the anti-oxidant and hepatoprotective activities of E.milii remain largely unknown. The present study is aimed to evaluate the anti-oxidant and hepatoprotective potential of E.milii by using various in vitro and in vivo models. Initially, two crude extracts, hydro-alcoholic and methanolic, were prepared using sonication method. The anti-oxidant assays were performed to find out the most potent crude extract, which was fractionated into five sub-fractions including n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water. To investigate the most potent fraction, the anti-oxidant assays were employed. Among these fractions, ethyl acetate fraction (EMEtOAc) showed the most potent anti-oxidant effects. To prove the in vivo relevance a CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity model was employed. EMEtOAc fraction significantly inhibited the increased-level of enzymes (AST, ALT and ALP) and bilirubin in serum, and reversed the CCl₄-induced lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels in liver tissues. Further, protective effect of EMEtOAc fraction was demonstrated by preventing the CCl₄-induced histopathological changes in liver tissues. Our study suggests that EMEtOAc fraction has the potent anti-oxidant and hepatoprotective effects, and may be a promising treatment against a variety of hepatic disorders.