Hepatocurative Effect of Picroliv and Silymarin Against Aflatoxin B₁ Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats¹ []

Abstract

Single doses of aflatoxin B₁ (2 mg/kg, i.p.) caused significant increases in the activities of τ-glutamyl transpeptidase, 5′-nucleotidase, acid phosphatase and acid ribonuclease, and decreases in the activities of succinate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphatase in liver, after 8 weeks. The level of lipid peroxides, DNA, RNA, and cholesterol increased while glycogen decreased. It also increased the serum level of transaminases, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin. Oral administration of picroliv (25 mg/kg/day for 15 days), a standardised iridoid glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa, 6 weeks after aflatoxin B₁ toxication, significantly prevented the biochemical changes induced in liver and serum of aflatoxin B₁ treated rats. The hepatocurative effect of picroliv and silymarin, a plant based standard hepatoprotective are comparable.

Key words

Picrorhiza kurroa - Scrophulariaceae - silymarin - hepatotoxicity - hepatoprotection - aflatoxin-B₁ - picroliv

1 CDRI Communication No. 5982

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1 CDRI Communication No. 5982