Background & Objective: Apium
graveolens has antioxidant property because of its flavonoid compounds. In the
present study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of hydroalcoholic
extract of Apium graveolens in Sprague Dawley male rats treated with
carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).Materials & Methods: In
this study, 48 rats (weighted 180-200 gram) were divided into six groups each
having eight rats. The six groups were control, sham, CCl4, and
three experimental groups. The experimental groups (4-6) received 1ml/kg CCl4
twice a week and olive oil with the ratio of 1:1 by intraperitoneal injection
for 40 days. In addition, they received 2 cc hydroalcoholic extract of Apium
graveolens by daily gavage with the concentrations of 200, 400, and 600
mg/kg/cc, respectively. The sham group received only olive oil with the
mentioned ratio and the other group received CCl4 and olive
oil. At the end, Alkaline Phosphatase
(ALP), Aspartate amino Transferase (AST), Alanine amino Transferase (ALT), and
the serum concentrations of albumin, total and direct bilirubin were measured
and analyzed by using statistical ANOVA Test. Results: Injection of CCl4
increased the serum levels of liver enzymes and total and direct bilirubin but
it decreased the concentration of serum albumin. On the other hand,
hydroalcoholic extract of Apium graveolens decreased the liver enzymes and
increased albumin level (p<0.001). Conclusion: The
results of this study reveals that the consumption of hydro-alcoholic extract
of Apium graveolens maintain the integrity of the liver and protects it against
damage
