Protective effects of Pergularia daemia roots against paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Context: Pergularia daemia (Forsk) Chiov. (Asclepiadaceae) is a slender, hispid, fetid-smelling perennial climber and has been used for the treatment of inflammation, diabetes, malaria, asthma, and liver disorders. Ethnopharmacological surveys conducted among herbal practitioners of Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India, revealed that large numbers of laticiferous plant species are used as a source of herbal therapies, in which Pergularia daemia was commonly used to treat liver disease and jaundice.

Objective: The hepatoprotective effect of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Pergularia daemia roots by paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver damage in rats was studied.

Materials and methods: The aqueous (PdAE) and ethanol (PdEE) extracts of Pergularia daemia were studied for their hepatoprotective effects on paracetamol and CCl₄-induced liver damage on Wistar albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by physical changes (liver weight), biochemical (serum gultamic pyruvic transaminase, serum gultamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, cholesterol and decrease in protein), antioxidant enzymes (lipid peroxidation and glutathione levels), and histological changes.

Results: Pretreatment with PdAE and PdEE significantly prevented the physical, biochemical, antioxidant enzyme levels and histological changes induced by paracetamol and CCl₄ in the liver. The effects of PdAE and PdEE were comparable to that of the standard drug silymarin. The ethanol extract was found to exhibit greater hepatoprotective activity than the aqueous extract.

Discussion and conclusion: These results indicate that Pergularia daemia could be useful in preventing chemically induced acute liver injury. From this study it can be concluded that the aqueous and ethanol extracts of P. daemia possess significant hepatoprotective activity.