Antioxidant,hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic effects of methanolic root extract of Cassia singueana in rats following acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride intoxication

Objective:To evaluate in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of the methanolic extract of the root of Cassia singueana in rats following acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride intoxication.Methods:Malondialdehyde（MDA）,aspartate aminotransferase（AST）,alanine aminotransferase（ALT） and bilirubin as indices of liver damage and lipid peroxidation were detected in rats after intraperitoneal administration of extract（5 mg/kg）.Results:The liver, kidney and heart showed significant reduction（P<0.05） in the levels of MDA from（0.18±0.04）,（0.23±0.07） and（0.26±0.10） nmol/mg respectively in the CCl;control to（0.15±0.03）,（0.17±0.04） and（0.17±0.07） nmol/mg protein in groups pre-treated with the extract for three days at 5 mg/kg(.Similarly, compared to the CCl;control,significant reduction（P<0.05） in serum AST,ALT and bilirubin as well as in level of total cholesterol and MDA with concomitant increase in HDL cholesterol, superoxide dismutase and catalase levels when CCl;-intoxicated rats were treated with Cassia singueana root extract for two weeks.Conclusions:These results suggest that methanolic extract of Cassia singueana contain potent antioxidant compounds that can offer significant protection against hepatic and oxidative injuries.