Hepatoprotective effects of Pittosporum neelgherrense Wight&Arn., a popular Indian ethnomedicine

The stem bark of Pittosporum neelgherrense Wight&Arn. is used by the Kani and Malapandaram tribes of Kerala as an effective antidote to snake bite and for the treatment of various hepatic disorders. In the present study, the effect of the methanolic extract of the stem bark of Pittosporum neelgherrense was studied against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-, d-galactosamine (D-GalN)- and acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Significant hepatoprotective effects were obtained against liver damage induced by all the three liver toxins, as evident from decreased levels of serum enzymes, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and an almost normal architecture of the liver in the treated groups, compared to the toxin controls. Thus the present study provides a scientific rationale for the traditional use of this plant in the management of liver diseases.