Preventive and curative effects of Artemisia absinthium on acetaminophen and CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity

• 1.1. Effect of aqueous-methanolic extract of Artemisia absinthium (Compositae) was investigated against acetaminophen- and CCl₄-induced hepatic damage.
• 2.2. Acetaminophen produced 100% mortality at the dose of 1 g/kg in mice while pretreatment of animals with plant extract (500 mg/kg) reduced the death rate to 20%.
• 3.3. Pretreatment of rats with plant extract (500 mg/kg, orally twice daily for two days) prevented (P < 0.01) the acetaminophen (640 mg/kg) as well as CCl₄ (1.5 ml/kg)-induced rise in serum transaminases (GOT and GPT).
• 4.4. Post-treatment with three successive doses of extract (500 mg/kg, 6 hr) restricted the hepatic damage induced by acetaminophen (P < 0.01) but CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity was not altered (P > 0.05).
• 5.5. Plant extract (500 mg/kg) caused significant prolongation (P < 0.05) in pentobarbital (75 mg/kg)-induced sleep as well as increased strychnine-induced lethality in mice suggestive of inhibitory effect on microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes (MDME).
• 6.6. These results indicate that the crude extract of Artemisia absinthium exhibits hepatoprotective action partly through MDME inhibitory action and validates the traditional use of plant in hepatic damage.