Hepatoprotective Properties in the Rat of Mitracarpus scaber (Rubiaceae)

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Abstract
The effect of Mitracarpus scaber on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage in the rat has been evaluated. Results showed that treatment with Mitracarpus scaber decoction resulted in significant hepatoprotection against CCl4-induced liver injury both in-vivo and in-vitro. In-vivo, Mitracarpus scaber pretreatment reduced levels of serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (P < 0.01 for 250, 500 and 1000 mg kg−1) and serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (P < 0.05 for 250 mg kg−1 and P < 0.01 for 1000 mg kg−1) previously increased by administration of CCl4. In-vitro results indicated that addition to the culture medium of Mitracarpus scaber extracts significantly reduced glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (P < 0.05 for 100 μg mL−1 and P < 0.01 for 10 and 1000 μg mL−1) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (P < 0.05 for 10 μg mL−1). Mitracarpus treatment also resulted in a good (> 93%) survival rate for the CCl4-intoxicated hepatocytes as demonstrated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Moreover, as in the in-vitro assay, Mitracarpus scaber had radical-scavenging properties, shown by its reaction with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50, the extract concentration resulting in a 50% reduction in the absorbance of DPPH blank solution, = 41.64 ± 1.5 μg mL−1). The results of this study showed that Mitracarpus scaber had antihepatotoxic potential, a finding which supports the validity of traditional usage of this drug in Mali for the treatment of liver diseases.

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