Efficacy of Raphanus sativus in the treatment of paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats

In the present study, the efficacy of a methanol extract of Raphanus sativus root (RSME) is tested in albino rats that developed hepatic damage due to administration of paracetamol (100 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days. Twenty rats were divided into three experimental groups (E1, E2, E3) and one control group (EC). Two doses of RSME (80 and 120 mg/kg body weight) were administered orally to E1 and E2, respectively, and a mixture of RSME (120 mg/kg) and paracetamol (100 mg/kg) was administered to E3 for 21 days. Group EC and another group of normal rats (EN) that served as controls were administered distilled water. At the end of the experiment rats were bled to assay thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate aspartate transaminase (SGPT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and catalase. Results indicated that RSME reduced the levels of TBARS, SGOT and SGPT, and increased the level of GSH and the catalase activity in E1 and E2 as compared to the EC group. Group E3 showed decreases in TBARS, SGOT and SGPT levels, but the results were not statistically significant compared with the EN group. There was also a marked depletion in GSH level and catalase activity in this group. RSME reduced lipid peroxidation induced by paracetamol and brought the levels of SGOT and SGPT to normal, indicating liver recovery. It also brought about repletion of GSH levels and recovery of catalase activity. Results for group E3 indicated that RSME was not able to reverse the effects of paracetamol if administration continued.