Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Asparagus albus leaves in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury rats

The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of hot aqueous extract from Asparagus albus (A.albus) leaf against CCl4-induced liver damage in rats were investigated. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and condensed tannin contents of hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf were determined. The antioxidant activity of hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf was evaluated using the antioxidant capacity, DPPH free radical-scavenging ability and reducing power assays. Different polyphenolic compounds, namely gallic acid, vanillic acid, 3,4 dimethoxybenzoic acid, catechin, rutin, and quercetin were identified. Oral administration of hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf to male Wistar, intoxicated with CCl4, demonstrated a significant protective effect by lowering the levels of hepatic marker enzymes (aspartate and lactate transaminases) and by improving the histological architecture of the rat liver. The hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf attenuated oxidative stress by restoring the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. This study demonstrated that the hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf protects rat liver from CCl4-induced injury and suggests a potential therapeutic use for A. albus plant. Practical applicationsThe hepatoprotective effects of plant extracts are mainly related to their richness in phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites widely found in plants, mostly represented by phenolic acids and flavonoids. The growing interest in these bioactive antioxidant components is principally due to their antioxidant potential and the association between their consumption and the prevention of some diseases. In this study, a remarkable hepatoprotective effect of the hot aqueous leaf extract obtained from Asparagus albus was detected against CCl4-induced liver injury in rat and its mechanism was related, at least in part, to its free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity on account of the presence of polyphenols.