Assessment of Hepatoprotective and Antiulcer Activity of Launaea aspleniifolia Hook in Laboratory Animals

Background: Launaea aspleniifolia Hook (Family Asteraceae) is used traditionally in medicine in Indian system for the treatment of leucoderma. This study was conducted to evaluate the hepatoprotective and antiulcer effects using the methanolic extract of Launaea aspleniifolia Hook (MELA). Methods: The MELA in the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) was administered orally, daily for 7 days to prevent the acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and peptic ulcer. In order to determine the antioxidant enzymes activity, various enzymatic parameters including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBL), direct bilirubin (DBL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), high density lipoproteins (HDL), random glucose test (RBS), serum creatinine levels (SCL) and direct bilirubin (DBL) were determined. Further, the histopathology of tissue and various gastric secretion parameters like free acidity, total acidity ulcer score, % ulcer inhibition, gastric volume, pH, Na+ and K+ and histopathology were determined in PLinduced ulcer model. Result: MELA showed dose-dependent hepatoprotective and ulcer protective effect in acetaminopheninduced hepatotoxicity and antiulcer activity. Furthermore, tissue antioxidant parameter such as reduced Malondialdehyde (MDA), histopathology was also investigated. MELA was more potent in controlling all the serological parameter of liver like ALT, AST, TBL, DBL, ALP, HDL, RBS, SCL, TP and ALB in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) induced by Acetaminophen. Apart from this, antiulcer activity MELA was confirmed by the low level of ulcer index along with the reduction of free acidity, total acidity ulcer score, % ulcer inhibition, gastric volume, Na+ and an increase K+, pH of gastric content in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) induced PL model. Conclusion: The results indicated a significant dose-dependent effect of MELA from injuries induced in liver and stomach. These protective effects of MELA can be examined in various other toxicities as alone and in combinations.