Objective: Present study was undertaken to investigate the nephroprotective activity of whole plant ethanol extract of Biophytum sensitivum Linn. DC (B. sensitivum; EEBS) on gentamicin induced-nephrotoxicity in Wistar albino rats.Methods: Animals were divided into five groups, containing six animals in each. Gentamicin (GM) 100 mg/kg/d; i. p., was given to all groups except normal control to induce nephrotoxicity for a period of 8 d in rats. Animals in Group I served as control and Group II as GM-treated or nephrotoxic control. Group III received standard quercetin (50 mg/kg; p. o.); group IV received EEBS (250 mg/kg; p. o.) and group V received EEBS (500 mg/kg; p. o.), for 8 d. Several renal functional tests and injury markers such as a change in body weight, water intake, urine volume and pH, urinary levels of total protein, albumin, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were measured. Different hematological parameters including, red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), white blood corpuscles (WBC), lymphocyte, monocyte, polymorphs and eosinophil were also analyzed.Results: The results revealed that co-administration of EEBS at 250 and 500 mg/kg significantly reduced the urinary excretion of total protein (4.05±0.04, 3.53±0.05 g/dl), albumin (0.81±0.08, 0.71±0.00 g/dl), calcium (8.05±0.05, 7.81±0.06 mg/dl) and magnesium (0.79±0.05, 0.77±0.06 mg/dl) respectively. EEBS treatment in group IV and V animals produced a significant increase in body weight (2.58±0.17, 2.52±0.22 g), water intake (17.35±0.82, 17.87±0.86 ml/24 h) urine output (7.24±0.15, 7.88±0.08 ml/24 h), compared to animals in group II. Co-therapy with both doses of extracts also showed significant increase in RBC (6.85±0.31, 7.10±0.43 million/mm3) Hb (13.96±0.21, 13.83±0.31 g/dl), MCH (20.45±0.49, 20.67±0.51 pg) and PCV (38.29±0.42, 38.53±0.20%) levels, whereas WBC (8.24±0.21, 8.15±0.10 1X103/mm3) and polymorphs (14.19±0.20, 14.05±0.11%) levels were found to be significantly reduced respectively in animals than those in toxic control group.Conclusion: This study substantiated and confirmed the ethnomedical usefulness of B. sensitivum as a nephroprotective and antioxidant agent
