HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF UVARIA NARUM IN PARACETAMOL-INDUCED HEPATIC DAMAGE IN RATS: A BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Uvaria narum Wall (Annonaceae) is described as a hepatoprotective in Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine. However, there are no scientific reports in the modern literature regarding its usefulness as a hepatoprotective agent. The present study was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of alcoholic (UNAL) and aqueous (UNAQ) extracts of leaves of Uvaria narum Wall in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg were administered orally once daily for 7 days. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical paradigms related to oxidative stress like increased liver lipid peroxidation, elevation of serum marker enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH), decreased non-enzymatic (glutathione) and enzymatic antioxidants (CAT and SOD) activity and reduction of total proteins in liver homogenate along with histopathological studies of liver tissue. Treatment with UNAL and UNAQ extracts prevented the elevation of serum biomarkers AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, TB, and depletion of TP dose-dependently. The depletion of antioxidants GSH, SOD, and CAT and increased MDA formation in liver tissue by paracetamol was reversed by UNAQ and UNAL extracts dose-dependently. UNAQ and UNAL extracts also improved histoarchitecture alterations of hepatocytes. The hepatoprotective activity of UNAQ and UNAL extracts (200 mg/kg) was almost comparable to that of silymarin (100 mg/kg) treated group. Phytochemical analysis of UNAQ and UNAL extracts revealed the presence of quercetin as polyphenolic flavonoid compounds, which have been known for their hepatoprotective activities. The present findings demonstrate UNAL and UNAQ extracts of Uvaria narum could protect the liver cells from paracetamol-induced liver damage perhaps, by its antioxidant effect on hepatocytes, hence eliminating the deleterious effects of toxic metabolites of paracetamol which may be attributed to the individual or combined action of phytoconstituents present in it.