Ameliorative potential of a traditionally used plant Fraxinus micrantha against oxidative stress and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity

Background: Liver disorders are one of the serious health issues. The treatment of liver disorders and their associated complications must be done with care due to the adverse effects of present-day medications. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective and non-toxic herbal drugs for hepatoprotection. Objective: The objective of the present study is to investigate the hepatoprotective potential of traditionally used plant Fraxinus micrantha against paracetamol (PCM)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced by a standardized single oral dose of paracetamol (PCM) at 3 g/kg body weight. Standard drug (silymarin 50 mg/kg) and test drugs (chloroform and methanol extracts) were administered orally to rats for 7 days. All the animals were sacrificed on the 8th day, and blood was withdrawn by retro-orbital vein puncture, collected in fresh centrifugation tubes, and centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 min to separate serum for various estimations. Livers were isolated immediately for various biochemical and histopathological studies. Results: Treatment with chloroform extract (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) and methanol extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) ameliorated the elevated levels of hepatic markers, but a significant reduction in these levels was observed by treatment with methanol extract at 800 mg/kg. In addition, treatment with chloroform and methanol extracts resulted in the amelioration of oxidative stress along with the histopathological changes. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of methanol extract of F. micrantha revealed the presence of various polyphenols such as rutin, naringenin, kaempferol, physicion, quercetin, and gallic acid. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that the observed hepatoprotective effect of methanol extract of F. micrantha may be due to the presence of various polyphenols and also provides pharmacological evidence for the use of F. micrantha bark in folk medicine for the treatment of liver diseases.