Evaluation of the liver protective potential of piperine, an active principle of black and long peppers.

Piperine, an active alkaloidal constituent of the extract obtained from Piper longum and Piper nigrum, was evaluated for its antihepatotoxic potential in order to validate its use in traditional therapeutic formulations. This plant principle exerted a significant protection against tert-butyl hydroperoxide and carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity by reducing both in vitro and in vivo lipid peroxidation, enzymatic leakage of GPT and AP, and by preventing the depletion of GSH and total thiols in the intoxicated mice. Silymarin, a known hepatoprotective drug was tested simultaneously for comparison. Piperine showed a lower hepatoprotective potency than silymarin.