ABSTRACT

 The study was aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective effects of methanol extract of Acanthus montanus leaves against paracetamol intoxication in male Wistar albino rats. The increasing demand for herbal drugs with hepatoprotective potential against the growing incidence of liver disorder, arising from the proliferation of hepatotoxic substances in the environment, prompted this research to investigate the leaves extract ofthis plant which may be a significant source of hepatoprotective agent that may be useful in the management of liver disorders. Eighteen male Wistar albino mice were used for evaluation of acute toxicity ofthe plant extract while 20 male Wistar albino rats were used for the hepatoprotective study. The mice were divided into 6 groups of 3 animals each and acute toxicity test was determined in two phases by administration of specified doses of plant extract to the first 3 groups and later, the last 3 groups. Tire mice were then observed under 24 hours for motility and other adverse reactions. The twenty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 4 animals in each ofthe group. Group 1 served as the normal control that received distilled water only while group 2 served as the paracetamol control group that were induced with (25000 mg/kg) of paracetamol without any treatment. Group 3 was the negative control that were induced with paracetamol (2500 mg/kg) but treated with a standard drug, silymarin. Group 4 and 5 were pre-treated with (200 mg/kg) and (600 mg/kg) of the leave extract respectively prior to paracetamol induction and treatment with extract continued for the next 7 days. The study was conducted following standard analytical protocols. At the end of the study, the liver and blood samples from the animals were obtained for histology and biochemical studies respectively of which the levels of serum marker enzymes - Alanine aminotransferase, Aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase as well as serum Total protein concentration, serum Albumin and bilirubin levels were tested. Histomorphology of the fiver was also examined in all five groups of animals studied. The result ofthe acute toxicity test with the extract revealed that the extract posted no significant side-effect on the mice studied as no symptoms pertaining to nervousness, in-coordination or death were observed under 24 hours of administration and so was considered relatively safe for the animals. The biochemical analysis however, showed that there was a significant elevation in the level of liver marker enzymes as well as bilirubin in the untreated group 2 animals compared to the normal rats in group! while protein and albumin levels were decreased, suggesting that the paracetamol was able to induce hepatoxicity by distorting the histomorphology ofthe liver and impairing with the liver’s function of protein synthesis and bilirubin metabolism. It was also observed that, levels ofthese liver function parameters were restored towards normality in group 4 and 5 animals pre-treated with the extract which was comparable to the effect ofthe standard drug, observed in group 3. Silymarin is known for its antioxidant activity which might have been responsible for the restorations against liver damages. However, the presence of antioxidants in the extract might have been responsible for the similar effect ofthe extract against hepatic damage which suggests that the leaf extract ofAcanthus montanus is a promising hepatoprotective agent.