Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Activity of an Important Medicinal Plant Clausena dentata (Willd.) Roem: Using Animal Model

Evaluation of hepatoprotective activity in the preclinical level of any herbal principle is an important need of trend to carry forward the drug to the next level. Clausena is flowering citrus genus of about 23 species of unarmed trees and shrubs of Rutaceae family. Clausena dentata is one of the important member of the family and the stem bark of this plant is used in veterinary medicine for the treatment of wounds and sprains. The plant C. dentata was collected from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India and the dry powder of stem bark (2.5 kg) was first soaked in hexane for 24 hours and suction filtered. The process was repeated and similar extracts were pooled together and concentrated at 40°C. Chloroform and methanol were used in succession to extract the remaining plant matter in the same way. Various extracts of C. dentata were subjected to preliminary phytochemical testing to determine their ability to protect rats' livers from damage caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Changes in biochemistry and histopathology were noticed. Compared to rats treated with CCl4 alone, there was a highly significant (p<0.01) decrease in the levels of the blood enzymes glutamic pyruvic transaminase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin in the research. CCl4 induced hepatic damage was counteracted by the extracts of C. dentata. Changes were observed in enzymatic and histopathological level, when compared to CCl4 alone treated group.