Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Hepacare^®, a Herbal Formulation Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Injury

Abstract

Background:

Hepacare^® is a herbal formulation used to treat patients with sickle-cell anaemia complicated with jaundice, also recommended as a protective agent against liver damage due to chronic ingestion of alcohol.

Methods:

In vitro antioxidant properties of Hepacare^® was determined using 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity, reducing power ability, and nitric oxide assays. Hepatoprotective effect of Hepacare^® (50–400 mg/kg/day for 7 days, p.o.) was investigated in male Sprague Dawley rats against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄ /olive oil, 1:1, 0.7 ml/kg, i.p.)-induced liver damage. At the end of the study, blood samples and liver tissue were assayed for biochemical and antioxidants parameters.

Results:

Hepacare produced concentration dependent inhibition of DPPH and nitric oxide activity with IC₅₀ of 48.50 and 55.00 µg/ml, respectively, it suppressed the absorbance of ABTS^.+ with total antioxidant capacity of 423.47±8.37 mg QUE/g. CCl₄ administration induced significant (P<0.001) elevation of serum aspartate transaminase (1.70 fold), alanine transaminase (1.60 fold), alkaline phosphatase (2.90 fold) and bilirubin (2.00 fold) in comparison to control. The increase in serum biomarker were dose-depen­dently reversed by Hepacare^® pretreatment. More­over, CCl₄ pretreatment increased (P<0.001) malondialdehyde (MDA) (73.98%) and decreased (P<0.001) antioxidant enzymes level but Hepacare pretreatment produced dose-dependent attenuation of the increased MDA (3.84 fold) with enhancement of glutathione (3.08 fold), superoxide dismutase (2.08 fold), and catalase (3.14 folds) levels in comparison to CCl₄ treated group, similar to those of silymarin reference standard.

Conclusion:

Hepacare was beneficial in the prevention of CCl₄-induced hepatocellular injury, possibly by scavenging reactive free radicals, and boosting endogenous antioxidant systems.

Key words

antioxidant systems - DPPH - flavonoid - hepatotoxicity - liver tonic - oxidative stress - reducing power capacity - serum transaminases

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