Osbeckia octandra (Heen Bovitiya) Leaf Extract Reduces the Thioacetamide Induced Liver Damage in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Management of liver diseases with plant extracts has been in the traditional medicinal practice in Sri Lanka for centuries. However, scientific evidences on the beneficial effects of }sbeckia octondro are lacking. The present study was designed to determine the hepatoprotective activity of crude extracts of O. octandra against Thioacetamide [TAA) induced liver damage in Wistar rats. Five months old 15 male wistar rats were treated in 5 groups [1-5; n=3 each group); 1) control group; distilled water [0.5ml/rat, orally)2) TAA in saline (100 mC/kCbw, intraperitoneailyJ,3J TAAwith crude extract [CE) of 0. octandra leaves [0.5 g DM/kg BW, orally), 4J CE [0.5 g DM/kg BW, oraily], 5) saline [0.Sml/rat, intraperitoneally). Treatments were administered twice a week up to five weeks, after one month of adaptation period. Body weights were measured twice a week. Blood samples and liver tissues were collected at the end. TAA only treated group showed the lowest [p<0.05J body weight gain compared with the other four groups. Moreover, the TAA only treated group showed the significantly highest liver index (p<0.05). Both Alanine aminotransferase and Aspartate aminotransferase values,were significant [p<0.05J in TAA only treated group than all other four groups. Furthermore, signilicantly low lymphocytes and high neutrophils percentages were observed in TAA only treated group [p<0.05]. There was no any significant different between the control group and the TAA+ CE treated group for all the parameters. Livers from the TAA only treated group showed gross anatomical variations (surface roughness and discolorationl than the only treated mice [Group 3]. In conclusion, 0. octandra crude extract demonstrated a possible hepatoprotective effects against TAA induced liver damage warranting further investigations.