Hepatoprotective potentials of methanol extract of T. conophorum seeds of carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in Wistar rats

Tetracarpidium conophorum (TC) is a tropical plant used in ethno medicine for treating various diseases including hepatic ailments. The present study investigated the effect of methanol extract of T. conophorum seeds in rats intoxicated with CCl₄ 24 h and 48 h after intoxication respectively.

Thirty-five male Wistar rats were distributed equally into seven groups. Group IA (control) received distilled water and olive oil (i.p), group IIA rats were intoxicated with CCl₄ in olive oil (600 mg/kg, i.p.) only on the 8th day, while groups IIIA, IVA and VA were given 100 mg/kg of sylimarin, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of methanol extract respectively for 7 days, thereafter they were intoxicated with CCl₄ on the 8th day. Groups VIA and VIIA were intoxicated with CCl₄ on the 8th day and administered 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of methanol extract of T. conophorum seeds at 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h and 24 h and the animals were sacrificed 24 h after intoxication with CCl₄.This procedure was repeated for a different set of thirty-five (groups IB-VIIB) male rats but the animals were sacrificed 48 h after intoxication with CCl₄. Fasting blood sample was collected by cardiac puncture for biochemical analyses.

There were significant increases (p˂0.05) in serum hepatic enzyme markers (ALT, AST, ALP, and γ-GT) activities, as well as bilirubin and significant reduction in antioxidant enzymes (P˂0.05) in rats intoxicated with CCl₄ when compared to control group, but administration (pre-treatment and post-treatment) of methanol extract of T. conophorum seeds at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight and standard sylimarin drug attenuated the toxic insult of CCl₄ in a dose-dependent manner at 24 h and 48 h after intoxication respectively.

Our findings confirm that methanol extract of TC exhibited hepatoprotective activity against CCl₄ induced liver damage.