The ameliorating effect of Centella asiatica ethanolic extract on albino rats treated with isoniazid

Isoniazid, also called isonicotinyl hydrazine (INH), is a commonly used drug for treating tuberculosis. The main drawback is its toxic side effects. Centella asiatica has long been used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine owing to its wide medicinal properties. This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of C. asiatica ethanolic leaf extract (CA) on INH-treated albino rats.

The adverse effects induced by INH (50 mg/kg bw) administration on haematological parameters, oxidative status (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione), liver and kidney function markers, and their amelioration by various concentrations of CA (20, 40, 60, and 100 mg/kg bw) or silymarin (SIL) (50 mg/kg bw, administered before 1 h of INH treatment for 30 days to rats) were studied. Moreover, histological studies were carried out in liver and kidney tissues of rats treated with the most effective concentration to further support the possible effectiveness of CA on INH-intoxicated rats.

All the affected parameters returned to near-normal levels, and the effective concentration of extract was found to be 100 mg/kg bw. The histology of both the liver and the kidneys subsequently supported the effectiveness of CA (100 mg/kg bw).

Altogether, the results suggest that CA at 100 mg/kg bw can substantially reduce the toxic effects of INH.