Antihepatotoxic and Antioxidant Activities of Methanol Extract and Isolated Compounds from Ficus Chlamydocarpa

• Published in: Natural product communications 2010-10, Vol.5 (10), p.1607-1612
• Main Authors: Donfack, Jean Hubert, Fotso Simo, Christophe Colombe, Ngameni, Bathelemy, Tchana, Angèle N., Kerr, Philip G., Finzi, Paola Vita, Vidari, Giovanni, Giardina, Silvana, Buonocore, Daniela, Ngadjui, Bonaventure T., Moundipa, Paul F., Marzatico, Fulvio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - blood; Animals; Antioxidants - analysis; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Carbon Tetrachloride - toxicity; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning - drug therapy; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - drug therapy; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Ficus - chemistry; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Male; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Methanol; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Silymarin - therapeutic use; Tetrazolium Salts
• ISSN: 1934-578X; 1555-9475
• DOI: 10.1177/1934578X1000501019

Free radicals, in particular radical oxygen species (ROS), play an important role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of various diseases. Current research in many countries focuses on the use of local medicinal plants as a promising source of liver protective agents. This paper describes the hepatoprotective effects of the methanol extract and four isolated compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa on CCl4-induced liver damage, as well as the possible antioxidant mechanisms involved in this protection. The DPPH test, along with the ß-Carotene-Linoleic Acid Model System and Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power assays, as well as the inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation were used to measure radical-scavenging and antioxidant activities. Pretreatment of rats with the methanol extract of F. chlamydocarpa before CCl4 administration, significantly prevented serum increase of hepatic enzyme markers, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), in a dose-dependent manner. The hepatoprotection was also associated with a significant enhancement in hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and a marked decrease of liver malondialdehyde (MDA). Among the four compounds 1-4, isolated from the methanol extract, α-amyrin acetate (1) and luteolin (4) showed a significant hepatoprotective activity, as indicated by their ability to prevent liver cell death and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage during CCl4 intoxication.