study Study of the Hepatoprotective Activity of Polyherbal Formulation on Alcohol Induced Hepatotoxicity

Many traditional systems of medicines employ herbal drugs for the hepatoprotection. Aim of the study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of polyherbal formulation against alcohol induced hepatotoxicity in wistar albino rats. Group I animals were treated with 1% CMC for 18 days. Group II, III and IV animals were treated with 1% CMC, polyherbal formulation 180mg/kg/day and silymarin 100mg/kg/day respectively for 18 days and then orally administration with ethanol 3.76 g/kg/day simultaneously for 18 days. After 24 hours of last dosing, the blood was obtained through retro-orbital plexus under light anaesthesia and the animals were sacrificed.  Hepatoprotective potential was assessed by various biochemical parameters such as AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, bilirubin, cholesterol, TG and thiopentone sodium induced sleep time. Group III rats showed significant (p<0.01) decrease in AST, ALT, ALP, LDH, bilirubin, cholesterol, TG, liver weight(wt.) and relative liver wt. levels while significant (p<0.01) increase in TP levels as compared to group II rats. Hepatoprotective potential of polyherbal formulation 180mg/kg/day was comparable to that of standard drug silymarin 100mg/kg/day. Results of the study were well supported by histopathological observations. This study confirms that polyherbal formulation possesses hepatoprotective potential comparable to that of standard drug silymarin as it exhibited comparable protective potential against PCM induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. Keywords: Polyherbal formulation, Hepatoprotective potential, Alcohol, Hepatotoxicity, Silymarin