Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Annona squamosa seed extract against alcohol-induced liver injury in Sprague Dawley rats

Abstract

Alcohol is regarded as the third most common cause of death after hypertension and smoking. Its long-term excess exposure leads to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and liver injury, a worldwide health problem without efficient therapy. As there is no reliable liver protective drugs in allopathic medical practices, herbs play a major role in the management of liver diseases. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate hepatoprotective activity of Annona squamosa seed extract against alcohol-induced liver injury in Sprague Dawley rats. Liver toxicity was induced by 50% alcohol at dose level of 12 ml/kg po each, for 8 days. Ethanolic extract of A. squamosa seed (EEAS) at dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg po were administered once daily for 8 consecutive days. The hepatoprotective activity of EEAS was assessed in experimental rats using various biochemical parameters like ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, SBL, albumin, total cholesterol, and total protein; and antioxidant parameters like SOD, CAT, GSH, and TBARS. It demonstrated that the treatment with EEAS significantly (p < 0.05-p < 0.001) and dose-dependently prevented the alcohol-induced increase in serum levels of hepatic enzymes and significantly increased the levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH. It also significantly decreased the level of MDA. Histopathology of the liver tissues showed that EEAS attenuated the hepatocellular necrosis and led to regeneration and repair of cells toward normal. Results of this study strongly indicated the protective effect of A. squamosa against alcohol-induced liver injury which may be attributed to its hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities.

Keywords: Annona squamosa; alcohol; antioxidant; hepatoprotective activity; liver diseases.