Hepatoprotective Activity of Whole Part of the Plant Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (Convolvulaceae) in Chloroform, Ethanol and Paracetamol Induced Hepatotoxic Rat Models

Abstract

Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. is a rootless, leafless perennial parasitic twining herb belonging to the family Convolvulaceae and is commonly known as Akashvalli or Dodder. The Cuscuta reflexa is reported to possess antitumor, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antioxidant anticonvulsant, and induced alopecia activities. The research work is focused on phytochemical screening of whole part of the plant Cuscuta reflexa after each successive extraction with petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water respectively followed by its hepatoprotective activity study. In vivo hepatoprotective activity of the Cuscuta reflexa whole plant extract was carried out using carbon tetrachloride, ethanol and paracetamol induced hepatotoxic rat models and compared with silymarin (20 mg/kg) as reference standard. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the aqueous extracts of Cuscuta reflexa whole plant contains carbohydrates, reducing sugars, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids and saponins. Two way analysis of variance study of the estimated biochemical parameters for instance, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase and alkaline phosphatase were concluded that there is significant difference (p-value less than 0.001) exists between the different treatment groups. Furthermore, least significant difference test of various biochemical parameters have indicated the highest dose of aqueous extract (200 mg/kg) was having comparable hepatoprotective activity to that of standard silymarin, which was also evident from the histopathological study of liver sections. However, activity of aqueous extracts of Cuscuta reflexa whole plant (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) were statistically not comparable (p-value less than 0.05) with their respective SL treated standard groups.