Hepatoprotective effect of water extract formulation from Stixis suaveolens and Pandanus tonkinensis against liver injury induced by acetaminophen and in vitro CCl4-induced toxicity

A herbal remedy formulation including Stixis suaveolens and Pandanus tonkinensis has been established to treat liver diseases in the North-West region of Vietnam. This study aimed to provide in vitro as well as in vivo scientific evidences which illustrate the hepatoprotective effect of water extract of the above formulation. As a result, the highest oral dosage of water extract equivalent to 29.6 g/kg did not induce any toxic phenomena. Histopathological study showed that water extract formulation could reverse the damage caused by acetaminophen in mice. The water extract reduced significantly the level of ALT and AST enzyme, MDA, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma concentrations in mice treated with acetaminophen compared with control disease group. Furthermore, one of ten fractions from the formulation (F8) showed the strongest hepatoprotectivity in model of CCl4-induced toxicity in HepG2 cells. Thus, the water extract formulation could be a potential candidate for the protection of liver from diseases.