Hepatoprotective activity of andrographolide from Andrographis paniculata against carbontetrachloride

Andrographolide, a diterpenoid lactone, was isolated (yield 0.78% w/w) from A. paniculata (whole plant). Its LD50 in male mice was 11.46 g/kg, ip. Antihepatotoxic activity of andrographolide (100 mg/kg, ip) was compared with 861.33 mg/kg, ip, of the methanolic extract (equivalent to 100 mg/kg of andrographolide) and 761.33 mg/kg ip, of the andrographolide-free methanolic extract (equivalent to 861.33 mg/kg of the methanolic extract) of the plant, using CCl4-intoxicated rats. Biochemical parameters like serum transaminases--GOT and GPT, serum alkaline phosphatase, serum bilirubin and hepatic triglycerides were estimated to assess the liver function. Overall inhibition of CCl4-induced increase in the five biochemical parameters was found to be 48.6 per cent (andrographolide), 32.0 per cent (methanolic extract) and 15.0 per cent (andrographolide-free methanolic extract). These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of the liver slices. Further, andrographolide (100 mg/kg, ip) was found to normalize completely the CCl4-induced increase in the pentobarbitone induced sleep time of mice. The results suggest that andrographolide is the major active antihepatotoxic principle present in A. paniculata.