Spilanthes paniculata Flower Extracts Attenuates Paracetamol Induced Liver Damage by Antioxidant Mechanism

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of
Spilanthes paniculata Wall. ex DC flower extracts against paracetamol-induced liver damage. The
study was conducted in 36 male Wistar rats of either sex, and six groups were established. While the
first group was maintained as normal control (NC, distilled water), Groups 2 to 6 were administered 3
g/kg Paracetamol (PAR) for 2 day, 100 mg/kg Silymarin (SMR), 500 mg/kg Methanolic extract
(MESP), Petroleum ether extract (PEESP), Ethyl acetate extract of S. paniculata (EAESP) suspended
in 0.5% tween 80 plus PAR, respectively. PAR was administered in the same schedule as in group 2,
the treatment with silymarin and extracts was given for 10 days orally, respectively. It was observed
that PAR significantly increased serum Alanine transaminase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST),
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity liver MDA levels (P<0.01) and significantly decreased liver
Glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P<0.01), when compared
with the normal control group (NC). On the other hand, statistically significant (P<0.01) changes were
observed in the biochemical parameters of the group which was administered SMR, PEESP and
EAESP. Compared with the pathological changes observed in the liver in the form of congested
sinusoids and centrilobular necrosis, in the group which was administered paracetamol alone (PAR),
lesions were determined to be less severe particularly in the group (PEESP and EAESP). The
study shows that administration of PEESP and EAESP offered a therapeutic potential for the
treatment of hepatotoxicity induced by paracetamol via regulation of endogenous antioxidant system
in liver.