Evaluation of Hepatoprotective, Antioxidant Activity and Cardioprotective Effects of Whole Parts of Quisqualis Indica in Rats

Abstract

To assess the ethanolic extract of Quisqualis indica leaves' hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and cardioprotective properties against CCl4 and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity as well as doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in an experimental rat paradigm. For two reasons, the liver could be regarded as the most significant organ in terms of drug toxicity: It is a primary site of metabolism and the removal of foreign substances, and it serves as a functional barrier between the site of absorption and the enzymatic circulation. On the other hand, these characteristics also make it a desirable location for drug toxicity. The liver is the largest organ and is particularly vulnerable to toxicity due to its function in the detoxification process, which involves the removal and metabolism of substances. The powdered leaves in this study were extracted using pet ether and ethanol, and the resulting ethanolic extract was tested for acute toxicity using a dosage of up to 2000 mg/kg in accordance with OECD guidelines 425. Rats were used to test the extract's hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties against CCl4- and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Antioxidant parameter (SOD) and hepatoprotective biochemical indicators (ALT, AST, and ALP) were assessed. The extract's cardioprotective properties were investigated in relation to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, and cardiac biomarkers (LDH, CK-MB) and lipid profile parameters (TC, TG, HDL, and LDL) were examined. At 200 and 400 mg/kg, the extract dramatically boosted the activity of antioxidant enzymes. When comparing the induce group to the normal group, the levels of ALT, ALP, and AST also dropped. Additionally, it keeps animals from losing weight. Before receiving the Quisqualis indica extract, there was a decrease in the blood lipid profile and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Elevated levels of marker enzymes such CK-MB and LDH in rats indicating doxorubicin-induced heart tissue damage. The current investigation discovered that the doxorubicin-induced release of LDH and CK-MB from rats' serum was inhibited by quisqualis indica extract. Based on the aforementioned results, it was determined that in a validated animal model, Quisqualis indica ethanolic extract had hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and cardioprotective properties.