Potential protective effect of some plant extracts against carbon tetrachloride – induced hepatotoxicity

Plantago major seeds, Diplotaxis acris and Schouiwa thebaica methanol extracts were evaluated for their potential hepatoprotective effects against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic damage model. Preliminary phytochemical studies were carried out to elucidate their components. Oral administration of the methanol extract (1000 mg kg-1) of Plantago major seeds, Diplotaxis acris and Schouiwa thebaica significantly (P< 0.05) attenuated the CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. This was indicated by the tendency of serum enzyme activities to return toward the normal values. Moreover the histopathological changes of liver tissues induced by CCl4 were moderate to mild in methanol extract-pretreated rats. No toxic symptoms were reported in rats receiving methanol extract at doses up to 2.5 g kg-1. Unsaturated sterols and/or triterpenes, tannins, flavonoids and carbohydrates and/or glycosides were the major active constituents of the tested plants. Keywords: hepatoprotective, medicinal plants, Plantago major, Diplotaxis acris, Schouwia thebaica African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines Vol. 3(3) 2006: 1-