Hepatoprotective potential of goutweed (aegopodium podagraria l.): screening

Abstract

Introduction. The main reasons of liver damage are the excessive alcohol consumption, viral infections, as well as drug adverse effects. In addition, hepatic injury develops in surgery, transplantation, tissue resection, thrombosis and atherosclerosis of great vessels. Nowadays liver diseases constitute a significant medical problem of worldwide proportions. On the modern pharmaceutical market the assortment of liver drugs with verified efficacy is not sufficient. Hence, there is an ongoing need for improvement of liver protection methods and for research of new substances that can effectively prevent and cure hepatic damage, minimize drugs adverse effects. Herbal drugs as well as compounds of herbal origin have been intensively studied for their possible beneficial effects in liver injury.

Objective. The goal of the study was to determine the influence of goutweed drugs and certain groups of biologically active substances on the course of liver carbon tetrachoride-induced injury in mice.

Materials and methods. The experimental groups were as follows: intact mice, positive control group (only carbon tetrachloride dissolved in olive oil (1:1) was given orally at a dose of 10 ml/kg b.w.) and groups where animals received the goutweed roots, leaves, flowers drugs such as the tincture (1 and 5 ml/kg), the extract (200 mg/kg and 1 g/kg), as well as goutweed leaves biologically active substances, namely, protein-polysaccharide complex (200 mg/kg), kaempferol 3-О-β-D-galactopiranoside (flavonoid trifolin, 50 mg/kg) and reference-drug silibor (200 mg/kg) during 3 days before and 2 hours after intoxication. Survival rate was estimated during the first 24 hours after carbon tetrachloride administration. Afterwards anesthetized animals underwent euthanasia, blood plasma (heparin in vitro was used as an anticoagulant) was used for the measurement of aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST and ALT) activity as well as total protein level. Liver and kidney weight ratios and AST/ALT ratio were calculated.

Results. The hepatoprotective activity of goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.) roots, leaves, flowers extracts and tinctures as well as goutweed biologically active substances have been investigated in mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury. Significant reduction in lethality rate is considered to be the integral criterion of hepatoprotective action. This effect was evident in animals treated with most of goutweed drugs. However, only goutweed leaves drugs (the extract, the tincture, protein-polysaccharide complex) and trifolin also counteracted cytolysis and decreased liver weight ratio. They normalized AST/ALT ratio that is the evidence of favourable course of pathological process and proves their protective effect on the liver. The concentration of total protein in plasma had no significant differences in all experimental groups. The effects of the tincture (1 and 5 ml/kg), the extract (200 mg/kg and 1 g/kg), protein-polysaccharide complex (200 mg/kg) of goutweed leaves and trifolin (50 mg/kg) were comparable with that of standard drug silibor (200 mg/kg).

Conclusions. These results demonstrate protective effects of the goutweed leaves preparations and biologically active substances against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury and indicate the need for the further in-depth investigation of their  hepatoprotective activity mechanisms on the other models of  liver injury that differ in pathogenesis.

Key words: goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria L.), herbal drugs, hepatoprotective agents.