Hepatoprotective effect of Coreopsis tinctoria flowers against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice

Background: Coreopsis tinctoria is a traditional remedy for the management of various diseases including hepatitis. The hepatoprotective role of the plant is not scientifically explored till now. This study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective potentials of the ethanol extract from C. tinctoria (CTEtOH) using an animal model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury. Methods: CTEtOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) and silymarin (200 mg/kg) were administered to the experimental mice for 7 days followed by 0.2% CCl4 (10 mL/kg of body weight (bw), ip), then all mice were sacrificed after 24 h. The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured. Histological analysis of liver was performed. The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant enzymatic activities were also measured. Results: The results revealed that the serum ALT and AST levels significantly decreased after treatment with CTEtOH. Moreover, histological analyses indicated that CTEtOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) and silymarin reduced the extent of CCl4-induced liver lesions. CTEtOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) reduced the levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta). Furthermore, CTEtOH (1.0 g/kg) reduced the level of IL-6. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, namely superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase, significantly increased after treatment with CTEtOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) and that of glutathione peroxidase increased after treatment with 1.0 g/kg of CTEtOH. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the hepatoprotective effect of CTEtOH against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice, and the underlying hepatoprotective mechanisms are associated with antioxidant and antiproinflammatory activities.