Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Methanolic Helicteres hirsuta Leaf Extract

Oxidative stress plays a critical role in liver injury, and plant-derived antioxidants are emerging as promising hepatoprotective agents. This study unveils the hepatoprotective potential of Helicteres hirsuta Lour. leaf methanol extract for the first time. Antioxidant capacity was assessed using DPPH, ABTS, and total antioxidant assays, while in vivo hepatoprotection was evaluated in a paracetamol-induced liver injury model. The extract exhibits robust antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 15.94 µg/mL for DPPH; 18.52 µg/mL for ABTS), roughly twice as effective as curcumin, along with high total antioxidant capacity (133.53 ± 0.35 mg GA/g) and significant reductions in AST, ALT, and MDA levels at 500 mg/kg. LC-MS/MS analysis identifies exceptionally high levels of rutin (310.99 ± 1.44 µg/g) and catechin (221.79 ± 2.61 µg/g), approximately 16.6- and 22.2-fold higher than in Nigella sativa, a well-known medicinal plant. Such achievements highlight H. hirsuta as a promising natural source for liver protection.