Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae) is an ethnomedicinal plant, traditionally known for curing several ailments such as skin diseases, bacterial infections, jaundice, renal lithiases and inflammation etc. The present work deals with assessment of in vitro antioxidant and in vivo hepatoprotective potential of butanolic fraction (But-LI) of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves. METHODS: Antioxidant activity was evaluated using deoxyribose degradation, lipid peroxidation inhibition and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. In vivo protective potential of But-LI was assessed at 3 doses [100, 200 & 400 mg/kg body weight (bw)] against 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) induced hepatic damage in male Wistar rats. RESULTS: But-LI effectively scavenged hydroxyl radicals in deoxyribose degradation assay (IC(50) 149.12 μg/ml). Fraction also inhibited lipid peroxidation and demonstrated appreciable reducing potential in FRAP assay. Treatment of animals with 2-AAF resulted in increased hepatic parameters such as SGOT (2.22 fold), SGPT (1.72 fold), ALP (5.68 fold) and lipid peroxidation (2.94 fold). Different concentration of But-LI demonstrated pronounced protective effects via decreasing levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP and lipid peroxidation altered by 2-AAF treatment. But-LI administration also restored the normal liver architecture as evident from histopathological studies. CONCLUSIONS: The present experimental findings revealed that phytoconstituents of Lawsonia inermis L. possess potential to effectively protect rats from the 2-AAF induced hepatic damage in vivo possibly by inhibition of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation.