Hepatoprotective Efficacy ofCichorium intybusL. Extract Against Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Liver Damage in Rats

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the phytochemical and hepatoprotective activity of different extracts of dried herb of Cichorium intybus L. against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxicated male albino rats. The hepatoprotective activity of different extracts at 500 mg/kg body weight was compared with carbon tetrachloride-treated animals. The animals were divided into five groups with six animals in each group. The first group represents control, the second group received carbon tetrachloride, the third received C. intybus, and the fourth group received C. intybus plus carbon tetrachloride. The fifth group received silymarin as hepato-slandered drug. There were significant changes in serum biochemical parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, albumin, total protein, and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats, which were restored towards normal values in C. intybus-treated animals. Histopathological examination of liver tissues further substantiated these findings. In conclusion, of this investigation, the results ascertain that the herb extracts of C. intybus possess significant hepatoprotective activity.

Selected hepatoprotective herbal medicines: Evidence from ethnomedicinal applications, animal models, and possible mechanism of actions

“…Increased levels of serum enzymes (AST and ALT) and bilirubin caused by CCl 4 ‐induced hepatic damage in rats were very much reduced whereas the decreased levels of albumin and proteins were found to increase in rats treated with C. intybus root callus and natural root extracts. However, ingredients from cultured C. intybus cells are more effective antihepatotoxic as compared with that of natural root extract against CCl 4 ‐induced hepatic damage (Elgengaihi, Mossa, Refaie, & Aboubaker, ).…”

Effects of a Multicomponent Herbal Extract on the Course of Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Cows – a Blinded Placebo-controlled Field-study

“…C. sinensis, C. intybus, G. glabra, and T. foenum-graecum, reportedly restored liver enzyme levels in intoxicated mice and rats, whereas T. officinale extract and G. glabra lowered hepatic lipid accumulation and, therefore, protected against fatty liver disease [35,36,[53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60]. Likely, the mild subclinical and early detected ketosis in our study did not lead to a liver impairment that is comparable to that of in vivo models in small laboratory animals.…”

“…Furthermore, the impaired fat metabolism and fat deposition in the liver may be stabilized by (a) glycyrrhizin contained in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. [31], (b) T. officinale [32] and (c) T. foenum-graecum [33]. As the liver is the main organ affected, subclinically ketotic cows may benefit also from the hepatoprotective effects of Z. officinale [34], C. intybus [35], G. glabra [36,37], and T. officinale.…”

Drug-induced Hepatotoxicity and Hepatoprotective Medicinal Plants: A Review

“…146,147 Cichorium intybus reported to have significant antihepatotoxic effect on CCl 4 induced biochemical and histological changes. 148 The aqueousmethanol seed extract of C. intybus has shown antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect on markers of liver function in the serum (AST and ALT), lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme (SOD) levels and hepatic histopathology of the liver in rats with CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity against hepatotoxicants. 149 It is folklore medicine used as an antimalarial medicine.…”