Oroxylum indicum root bark extract mitigates hepato-renal damage induced by acetaminophen and cisplatin

Oroxylum indicum is an important Ayurvedic plant from the "Dasamoola" group, traditionally used as a detoxifying agent. This study evaluates the protective effects of the root bark methanol extract of O. indicum (ORX) against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The doses of ORX used in the study were selected based on the previous toxicity analysis (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg doses). Acetaminophen administration increased serum liver function markers (AST, ALT, ALP, bilirubin), while ORX and silymarin treatments significantly reduced these levels (p < 0.01). ORX administration also reversed the acetaminophen-induced depletion in hepatic redox balance as indicated in terms of SOD, GPx, GSH and lipid peroxidation. Corroborating these, the changes in the hepatic normal architecture induced by acetaminophen were also reversed by the pre-treatment with ORX. Similarly, the cisplatin administration resulted in strong myelosuppression and nephrotoxicity. In cisplatin-exposed rats, renal oxidative stress markers worsened, and serum renal function parameters were elevated. On the contrary, the pre-treatment with ORX alleviated the cisplatin-induced myelosuppression and redox imbalance in the renal tissues; further, it also restored the renal histology to near normal. Overall, O. indicum root bark extract effectively mitigated drug-induced liver and kidney damage, likely through redox balance restoration.