Hepatoprotective effect of Swertia chirata on rat.

Present work was undertaken to ascertain the hepatoprotective effect of Swertia chirata in albino rats. Intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (1 ml/kg body wt on every 72 hr. for 16 days) significantly increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and bilirubin level in rat, but liver glycogen and serum cholesterol levels were decreased. Histologically it produced hepatocytic necrosis especially in the centrilobular region. Simultaneous treatments with S. Chirata (in different doses, viz, 20, 50 and 100 mg/kg body wt daily) and CCl4 (similar dose to that mentioned earlier) caused improvement at both biochemical and histopathological parameters compared to that of CCl4 treatment alone but it was most effective when S. chirata was administered in a moderate dose (50 mg/kg body wt).