Hepatoprotective effects of Eclipta alba on subcellular levels in rats

The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanol/water (1:1) extract of Eclipta alba (Ea) has been studied at subcellular levels in rats against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity. Ea significantly counteracted CCl₄-induced inhibition of the hepatic microsomal drug metabolising enzyme amidopyrine N-demethylase and membrane bound glucose 6-phosphatase, but failed to reverse the very high degree of inhibition of another drug metabolising enzyme aniline hydroxylase. The loss of hepatic lysosomal acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase by CCl₄ was significantly restored by Ea. Its effect on mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase and adenosine 5'-triphosphatase was not significant. The study shows that hepatoprotective activity of Ea is by regulating the levels of hepatic microsomal drug metabolising enzymes.