Abstract
Purpose: To explore the anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective potentials of Silene villosa Caryophyllaceae methanol extract in rats.
Methods: Toxicity of S. villosa extract was evaluated in rats. Inflammation was induced in rats by injection of 0.1 mL carrageenan (1 %) in the left hind paws. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was used to induce liver damage. Five groups of rat were used. The 1st (normal control) and 2nd (hepatotoxic) groups received the vehicle. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th groups received silymarin, 250 and 500 mg/kg of S. villosa extract, respectively, for 7 days. Liver injury was induced on the 7th day by intraperitoneal administration of 1 mL/kg of CCl4 to rats in groups 2 - 5.
Results: The results showed that S. villosa is safe. It significantly reduced carrageenan-induced edema compared to normal (p < 0.01) and standard (p < 0.01) groups. The extract protected (p < 0.01) rats against the deleterious effect of CCl4. It decreased (p < 0.01) the elevated serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as well as elevated serum levels of bilirubin (BRN), compared to CCl4 control rats. Reduced activities of the antioxidant enzymes were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in rat liver, compared with CCl4 control group. The results were confirmed by histological findings in rat liver as the extract reduced necrosis and hydropic degeneration of hepatic tissue compared to CCl4 control group.
Conclusion: The results suggest that S. villosa possesses anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities in rats, and therefore, has therapeutic potentials in humans.