ABSTRACT

This present study was undertaken to investigate the hepaprotective effect of ethanol extract of Phyllanthus amarus on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury in male Wistar rats. A total of twenty-five rats were used for this study and were divided into five groups of five rats each. One group served as normal control, another CCl₄ (negative) control, while the others served as treatment groups: silymarin and 200mg/kg bwt extract and 400mg/kg bwt extract. The rats were exposed to CCl₄ (3ml/kg b.wt prepared in olive oil). The exposure was a one-time oral exposure. Treatment with ethanol extract of P. amarus leaves was for 21 days. Liver function tests such as alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), albumin, globulin, total proteins (TP), total bilirubin, and direct and indirect bilirubin were perfprmed in rats plasma. The results showed that CCl4 caused significant increase in levels of hepatic transaminases, total protein, and bilirubin when compared to the control groups (p<0.05). However, after treatment with the plant extract, activities of the transaminases and levels of total protein and bilirubin were reduced significantly, relative to the CCl4 control (p<0.05). This study has provided scientific basis for the use of the plant in traditional medicine for treatment of liver damage.