Potential protective effects of Costus igneus leaves alcoholic extract against CCl4 -induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Costus igneus is a promising medicinal plant due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds as major contents of its constituents. This study was aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of oral administration of Costus igneus leaves alcoholic extract (CLAE) against CCl₄-induced liver injury in rats. Forty two adult male Wistar rats were divided into six equal groups (7 for each) as follows: group(1): negative control group, group (2): positive control (CCl₄) group injected subcutaneously by a single dose of CCL₄ (2 ml/kg BW) at the last day of the experiment, group (3): rats treated with standard drug Silymarin (200 mg/kg BW) once daily for 4 weeks prior a single subcutaneous injection of CCL₄ (2 ml/kg BW.) and groups (4, 5 and 6) were orally administered CLAE at doses of (150, 300 and 600 mg/kg BW) once daily for 4 weeks prior a single subcutaneous injection of CCL₄ (2 ml/kg BW.) to induce experimental hepatotoxicity. The results showed that oral administration of CLAE in a concentrations of 600 mg/kg BW to rats for 4 weeks prior inducing hepatotoxicity by CCl₄ significantly improved total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), lipoprotein fractions, decreased the elevated serum levels of liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, ALT, aspartate aminotransferase, AST, alkaline phosphatase, ALP, total bilirubin and increased serum total protein when compared to the control positive group. Oxidative stress markers as antioxidant activity enzymatic (glutathione peroxidase, GPx, superoxide dismutase, SOD, catalase, CAT and non-enzymatic glutathione, GSH), also malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly improved as compared to the control positive group. Histopathological examination of liver section of rats orally given CLAE prior inducing hepatotoxicity by CCl₄ showed alleviation of histological degeneration changes in protected groups compared to control positive group. This study concluded that, CLAE has high hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective effect and antioxidant effects in CCl₄-intoxicated rats. Hepatoprotective effect of CLAE could be due to presence of many phenolic compounds detected in this study.