Antioxidant and hepatoprotective action of Asparagus racemosus Willd. root extracts.

The antioxidant activities of the crude hydro-alcoholic extract (CE) and its four fractions viz. methanol (MF), ethyl acetate (EF), n-Butanol (BF), and precipitated aqueous (PAF) of A.racemosus roots tested decreased in the order of EF > MF > CE > BF > PAF when investigated by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Under iron induced lipid peroxidation almost similar results were observed except that the activity was more in PAF than BF. Hepatoprotective activity of the extracts was also demonstrable in vivo by the inhibition of-CCl4 induced formation of lipid peroxides in the liver of rats by pretreatment with the extracts. CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, as judged by the raised serum enzymes viz. glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and total and direct bilirubin as well as oxidant enzyme viz. malon dialdehyde were prevented, while antioxidant enzymes viz. superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and catalase were elevated by pretreatment with the extracts, demonstrating the potent hepatoprotective action of the roots of A. racemosus.