Modulatory potential of α-amyrin against hepatic oxidative stress through antioxidant status in Wistar albino rats

α-Amyrin (a pentacyclic triterpene widely distributed in nature and isolated from a variety of plant sources and pharmacologically shown a wide spectrum of activity including anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-tumor, and hepatoprotective actions) explored as hepatomodulator from the ethanol extract of the stem bark of Alstonia scholaris Linn. against CCl4-induced hepatic oxidative stress through antioxidant status in wistar albino rats.

Experimental rats, hepato-oxidatively stressed by CCl4 (0.2 ml/kg b wt/twice a week, intra-peritoneally), were concurrently received α-amyrin (20mg/kg body weight/day, orally) for 30 consecutive days. Hepatomodulatory potential was assessed by using the serum- markers like γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), aspartate and alanine transaminases (AST, ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and total bilirubin, total protein, glutathione reduced (GSH), ceruloplasmin, β-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E in serum concomitantly with the hepatic-antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), and 5´-nucleotidase, acid ribonuclease, glucose-6-phosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase and cytochrome-P-450 in liver tissue whereas lipid peroxidation (LPO) was estimated in both serum and liver contents.

The assessment of all biochemical parameters registered a significant (P<0.001) hepatic oxidative stress in CCl4 treated rats, which was considerably recovered near to almost normal level in rats co-administered with α-amyrin at the dose level of 20mg/kg body weight/day for 30 consecutive days. The histoarchitectural examination of liver sections from treated groups further corroborated the hepatomodulatory potential of α-amyrin and compared with standard drug-silymarin.

These findings indicate that the modulatory potential of α-amyrin against hepatic oxidative stress possibly involve mechanism related to its ability to block the P-450 mediated CCl4 bioactivation through selective inhibitors of ROS (reactive oxygen species) as antioxidants brought about significant inhibition of the formation of LPO suggesting possible involvement of O2(●-), HO2, HO2(●-), H2O2 and •OH. Therefore this study suggests that the use of α-amyrin as a hepatomodulatory potent to feasibility for a promising liver curative drug.