European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF EXTRACTS AND SOLVENT FRACTIONS FROM MORINDA MORINDOIDES (BAKER) MILNE-REDHEAD (RUBIACEAE) LEAVES IN EXPERIMENTAL SWISS ALBINO MICE

Cimanga K. R.*, Tshodi E. M., Kikweta M. C.a, Tona L. G.

ABSTRACT

Morinda morindoides leaves aqueous extract and its chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions and residual
aqueous phase, as well its methanol 80% extract and crude polysaccharides, were evaluated for their potential
hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver toxicity. The intraperitoneal injection of CCl4
in Swiss albino mice induced significant increases of hepatic enzymes, such as alanine transaminase (ALT),
aspartate transferase and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase
(CAT) and other biochemical parameters, such as albumin, total proteins, and decreased urea a uric acid, decreased
hematological parameters such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoproteins
(LDL) and increased triglyceride (TG) and high density lipoproteins (HDL) respectively and fasting blood glucose
(FBG). Inversely, treatment with aqueous extract at high oral administered dose of 400 mg/kg bodyweight,
induced significant decrease of biochemical enzymes and triglycerides, bilirubin, creatinine and low density
lipoproteins (LDL), urea and uric acid, and increases total proteins, total cholesterol (TC) and high density
lipoproteins (HDL) and platelets. Chloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and residual phase solvent fractions
produced also similar effects as aqueous extract on all selected biochemical parameters and products. The
hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract from Morinda morindoides leaves used at 400 mg/kg bodyweight was
comparable to Silymarin used as reference product used at 100 mg/kg bodyweight. Obvious or seeing the effects
of aqueous and solvent fractions on biochemical parameters and products, it can be assumed, these samples and
Silymarin reference product, possessed interesting and appreciable hepatoprotective effects comparable to
Silymarin and can be used as an adjuvant in the management of acute injuries and treatment of drug-related
hepatic injuries and degenerative diseases.

Keywords: Morinda morindoides, Rubiaceae, leaves, crude polysaccharides, liver, hepatoprotective activity, in vivo study.