Hepato-restorative Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Coccinia grandis L. Voigt. in CCl4 - Intoxicated Rats

Background: Coccinia grandis has pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-ulcer, antiinflammatory, anti-hypersensitive, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-cancer and hepatoprotective. Objective: This work is aimed to investigate an alternative low-cost green drug with hepatoprotective potential from methanolic extract of the leaf, stem and their corresponding calli of Coccinia grandis. Materials and Methods: Using 42 Albino Wistar rats divided into seven groups each group containing 6 rats. 1.5ml/kg bw of CCl4 diluted in olive oil was orally injected for fourteen days and methanolic extracts of parent plant parts, callus and silymarin, and on the last day of treatment, experimental rats were anesthetized, blood and organ removed for the biochemical and histopathological analysis. Results: This work is aimed to investigate an alternative low-cost green drug with hepatoprotective potential. Liver damage was induced by CCl4 (1.5 ml/kg body weight) in Wistar albino rats and recovery was noted by treating with Silymarin (100mg/kg bw), a known standard herbal drug and by treating with crude methanolic extract of leaf and stem parts of Coccinia grandis and their corresponding calli (leaf callus and stem callus at 180mg/kg bw) in terms of marked decrease in CCl4- increased SGOT (Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase), SGPT (Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase), ALP (Alkaline phosphatase), TB (Total bilirubin) and rise in TP (Total protein) compared to untreated control group. Histopathological studies of hepatocytes provide evidence of the centrilobular vacuolar degeneration and recovery by Silymarin or treatment with plant and callus extracts. Conclusion: Biochemical and histopathological examination proved the hepatoprotective potential of calli and parent plant parts (leaf, stem) of Coccinia grandis.