ISSN 2756-3871
International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 4 (4), pp. 001-006, April, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Hepatoprotective activity of Solanum nigrum extracts on chemically induced liver damage in rats
R. A. M. Elhag1, S. M. A. El Badwi2, A. O. Bakhiet3* and M. Galal1
1Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Institute, National Centre for Research, Khartoum, Sudan.
2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, P. O. Box 32, Khartoum-North, Sudan.
3Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology P. O. Box 204 Khartoum-North, Sudan.
Accepted 17 June, 2012
Abstract
The hepatoprotective effects of Solanum nigrum water and methanolic extracts were studied in rats injected with 0.2 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 10 consecutive days. S. nigrum water extract (250 to 500 mg/kg) was administered to rats injected with CCl4 for 10 days. The water extracts showed a hepatoprotective effect against CCl4- induced liver damage, which was evident by the decrease in serum aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphates (ALP) activities bilirubin concentration and by mild histopathological lesions when compared with the group of rats injected with CCl4 alone. The methanolic extracts of S. nigrum (250 to 500 mg/kg) also had hepatoprotective effects with levels of serum AST, ALT, ALP and bilirubin decreasing significantly in animals treated with S. nigrum methanolic extract compared to an untreated group.
Key words: Solanum nigrum, hepatoprotective, rats, carbon tetrachloride.