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. 2011 Sep;43(5):563-7.
doi: 10.4103/0253-7613.84973.

Hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea in combination with lycopene in rats

M Anusha  1 , M Venkateswarlu, V Prabhakaran, S Shareen Taj, B Pushpa Kumari, D Ranganayakulu
Affiliations

Hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea in combination with lycopene in rats

M Anusha et al. Indian J Pharmacol. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea (P. oleracea) in combination with lycopene against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Materials and methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (0.1 ml/kg b.w for 14 days). The aqueous extract of P. oleracea in combination with lycopene (50 mg/kg b.w) was administered to the experimental animals at two selected doses for 14 days. The hepatoprotective activity of the combination was evaluated by the liver function marker enzymes in the serum [aspartate transaminases (AST), alanine transaminases (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (Alk.P), total bilirubin (TB), total protein (TP) and total cholesterol (TC)], pentobarbitone induced sleeping time (PST) and histopathological studies of liver.

Results: Both the treatment groups showed hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity by significantly restoring the levels of serum enzymes to normal which was comparable to that of silymarin group. Besides, the results obtained from PST and histopathological results also support the study.

Conclusions: The oral administration of P. oleracea in combination with lycopene significantly ameliorates CCl(4) hepatotoxicity in rats.

Keywords: Hepatotoxicity; Portulaca oleracea; hepatoprotective activity; lycopene.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pentobarbitone induced sleeping time
Figure 2
Figure 2
Histopathology of rat livers of all the five groups (a) Normal group; (b) CCl4 group: 0.1 ml/kg CCl4; (c) Silymarin group: 0.1 ml/kg CCl4 + 50 mg/kg silymarin; (d) Test 1: 0.1 ml/kg CCl4 + 250 mg/kgPO+ 50 mg/kg LE; (e) Test 2: 0.1 ml/kg CCl4 + 500 mg/kg PO+ 50 mg/kg LE
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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