PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CRASSOCEPHALUM RUBENSLEAVES ON CARBON TETRACHLORIDE -INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE IN RATS

Natural products, most especially from plant origin, possess antioxidant propertieswhich are known toplaycrucial roles in preventing and treating various pathological conditions occasioned by free radicals. Crassocephalum rubens is aone of those plants, and this study investigated the protective properties of ethanolic extract of C.rubens(EECR) leaves against hepatic damageinduced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Thirty rats divided into 6 groups (n=5) were used for the investigation. Group 1 served as normal control while groups 2, 3 and 4 were pretreated for 21 days with EECR leaves at 150 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg b.w.respectively, prior to a single intraperitoneal administration of CCl4. Animals in groups 5 received only the extract at a dose of 450 mg/kg body weight whileanimals in group 6 were given only CCl4. All animals were sacrificed 24 hafter the administration of CCl4. CCl4significantly (p < 0.05) induced marked hepatic damage as revealed by increased activities of plasma ALT, AST, GGT and ALP. Also, plasma total protein and albumin were significantly decreased in CCl4-treated animals relativeto normal control. Analyses of antioxidant statusshowed that CCl4elicited a significant decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, with an increase in malondialdehyde levelsin liver. Pre-treatment with the EECR leavesat all doses testedhowever,significantly (p<0.05) reduced the observed biochemical lesions. The hepatoprotective effect of the EECR may be traceable to the presence of phytochemicals inherent in the plant