Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Protective effect of alcohol extract of Yulangsan leaf on chemically-induced liver injury in mice

Yiping Feng¹, Yang Jiao², Renbin Huang²

¹School of Medicine, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, Guangxi 545005; ²Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.

For correspondence:- Renbin Huang Email: sfc854@163.com

Received: 14 January 2017 Accepted: 22 March 2017 Published: 30 April 2017

Citation: Feng Y, Jiao Y, Huang R. Protective effect of alcohol extract of Yulangsan leaf on chemically-induced liver injury in mice. Trop J Pharm Res 2017; 16(4):861-866 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v16i4.16

© 2017 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of Millettia pulchra Kurz var. Laxior (Dunn) Z. Wei (Yulangsan) leaf (YLSL) on chemically-induced liver injury in mice.

Methods: Models of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced liver injury in Kunming mice were prepared by intraperitoneal injection. Sixty mice were randomly divided into normal saline (NS) group, liver-injury group, low-, medium- and high-dose YLSL groups (7.5, 15 and 30 g/kg dose, respectively), and biphenyldicarboxylate (BPDC) group, with 10 animals per group. Indices for liver, spleen and thymus were assessed. Serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver tissues and reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in liver tissue were assayed. Liver tissue damage was assessed histologically.

Results: YLSL could significantly decrease the elevation of AST or ALT in liver injuries induced by CCl₄ or D-GalN in mice, which showed a dose-effect relationship obviously. The high dose YLSL significantly decreased thymus weight relative to CCl₄ and D-GalN (CCL₄ CCL₄+YLSL: 4.4213 ± 1.0544 vs 3.7120 ± 0.8534; D-GalN vs YLSL + D-GalN: 3.7272 ± 1.1655 vs 1.9548 ± 1.2996, p < 0.01). However, SOD activity was significantly increased (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). In treatment groups exposed to CCl4, GSH-Px activity was significantly increased (p < 0.01) and GSH levels decreased (middle dose group and positive control group). In treatment groups with D-GalN, GSH content was significantly increased (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05), while GSH-Px activity decreased (p <0.01).

Conclusion: YLSL has protective effect against chemically-induced liver injury in mice. The mechanism may be related to attenuation of free radical-induced lipid peroxidation

Keywords: Millettia pulchra, Liver injury, Biochemical parameters, Thymus, Antioxidant, D-galactosamine, Biphenyldicarboxylate