EVALUATION OF HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF MELILOTUS OFFICINALIS L. AGAINST PARACETAMOL AND CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED HEPATIC INJURY IN MICE.

Hepatic diseases are becoming common day by day and pose serious health threats to the life of humans. In order to treat these diseases, the attention of man is diverting towards herbal drugs, which are much safer and cost effective than synthetic drugs. The aim of present study was to investigate hepatoprotective activity of methanolic extract of Melilomus officinalis against paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic damage. Melilotus officinalis at selected oral doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg showed significant hepatoprotective effects by decreasing the levels of serum marker enzymes such as total bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT, ALP, albumin and total protein, when compared with standard drug (silymarin) and negative control. Similarly, histopathological studies also supported biochemical estimations. It was concluded that extract of Melilotus officinali has strong hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol and carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity, which might be due to free radical scavenging mechanisms exhibited by flavonoids and phenolics, thus affirming its traditional therapeutic role in liver injury.