Therapeutic Protection from Hepatic Injury and Chemical Constituents of Buchanania angustifolia Roxb

Objectives: The use of modern medicines in the treatment of diseases instead of traditional medicine is causing different adverse effects. Therefore, there is need to search new bioactive compounds to treat different diseases. Buchanania angustifolia has been used in traditional medicine in the treatment of different diseases. On the basis of folkloric information, B. angustifolia aerial parts extracts have been selected for their antioxidant and hepatoprotective potentiality and phytochemical constituents.

Materials and methods: Qualitative phytochemical screening of B. angustifolia extracts revealed the presence of phytochemical constituents such as steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, carbohydrates, oils and amino acids. BA-1 and BA-2 compounds isolated from hydroalcoholic extract using chromatography and were identified as linolenic acid and mixture of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol.

Results: Antioxidant activity was performed on superoxide, hydroxyl and 1-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamino) propane hydrochloride free radicals. The B. angustifolia extracts showed dose-dependent activity on free radicals. The hydroalcoholic extract showed better activity. The extracts showed hepatoprotective activity on thioacetamide-induced liver intoxication in rats, and hydroalcoholic extract exhibited significant restoration of the altered biochemical parameters due thioacetamide-induced liver intoxication.

Conclusion: Among the tested extracts of B. angustifolia, hydroalcoholic extract showed higher antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity and stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were isolated. Further research is needed to evaluate other pharmacological activities and to isolate the other bioactive compounds from B. angustifolia.

Keywords: Buchanania angustifolia; antioxidant activity; chemical constituents; hepatoprotective activity; thioacetamide.