Hepatoprotective and cytoprotective properties of Hyptis suaveolens against oxidative stress-induced damage by CCl(4) and H(2)O(2).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate capacity of Hyptis suaveolens (H. suaveolens) methanol extract as an antioxidant to protect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity in Albino Wistar rats and cytoprotective effect of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induced cell death in HepG(2) cell line.
METHODS: Two different doses of methanol extract of H. suaveolens were evaluated for the hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Animals in Group I: served as control, group II: H. suaveolens (100 mL/kg b.w), group III: H. suaveolens (50 mL/kg b.w) + CCl(4) (1 mg/kg), group IV: H. suaveolens (100 mL/kg b.w) + CCl(4) (1 mL/kg) and group V: CCl(4) (1 mL/kg). Histopathologic changes of liver were also evaluated. Cytotoxicity was also determined by 3, (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
RESULTS: Oral sigle dose treatment of CCl(4) produced a marked elevation in the serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Histopathological analysis of the liver of CCl(4)-induced rats revealed marked liver cell necrosis with inflammatory collections that were conformed to increase in the levels of SOD, GSH, GST, GR and LPO. Treatment with H(2)O(2) significantly induced death of HepG(2) cell. Pretreatment with H. suaveolens methanol extract inhibited or attenuated H(2)O(2) induced cytotoxicity.
CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that H. suaveolens methanol extract can be proposed to protect the liver against CCl(4)-induced oxidative damage in rats and protect the cells against H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage in HepG(2) cells. The hepatoprotective and cytoprotective effects might be correlated with its antioxidant and free radical scavenger effects.