ABSTRACT
This study investigated the hepatoprotective potential of Entandrophragma utile (EU); a plant traditionally used in certain regions for its medicinal properties, against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver damage in Wistar rats. The research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different EU extracts – crude, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and ethanol residue in mitigating CCl4- induced hepatotoxicity and to compare their protective effects to silymarin, a known hepatoprotective agent. The study employed a randomized controlled experimental design involving forty adult male Wistar rats (approximately 180-200g), randomly assigned to ten groups (n=6±2 per group ) except for the last set (group 10) which was 2 Wister rats: a control group receiving neither CCl4 nor treatment; a CCl4-induced liver injury group receiving a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (1ml/kg body weight); and three treatment groups receiving oral administration of either crude EU extract, EtOAc EU extract, or silymarin (positive control), all at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight for 28 consecutive days following the CCl4 injection. The selection of EU extracts was based on preliminary phytochemical screening, suggesting a diverse range of bioactive compounds across different solvent polarities. The crude extract represents the total extractable compounds, while the EtOAc and ethanol residue extracts are enriched in different classes of secondary metabolites based on their solubility properties. The EtOAc extract, in particular, often yields compounds with moderate polarity, including terpenoids and phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – potential mechanisms relevant to liver protection. The use of silymarin served as a positive control to benchmark the efficacy of the EU extracts. Following the 28-day treatment period, all rats underwent humane euthanasia, and blood and liver tissue samples were collected. Liver tissue homogenates were analyzed for oxidative stress biomarkers, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), reduced glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA). SOD, CAT, and GPX are antioxidant enzymes crucial in neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS). MDA serves as a marker of lipid peroxidation, a major consequence of oxidative stress and CCl4-induced liver damage.
