Hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Flacourtia montana J. Grah leaf extract in male Wistar rats

Flacourtia montana and its related species have been used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases. The present study evaluated the hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of F. montana methanolic extract. The hepatoprotective effect of F. montana was evaluated against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Administration of paracetamol (2 g/kg) showed a significant biochemical and histological deterioration in the liver of experimental animals. Pretreatment with F. montana (200 and 400 mg/kg b.wt. p.o) significantly (P ⩽ 0.001) reduced the elevated levels of serum enzymes like serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (AST), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and reversed the hepatic damage in the liver which evidenced the hepatoprotective activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of F. montana was evaluated by carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma models. F. montana (200 and 400 mg/kg) showed a significant (P ⩽ 0.001) reduction in rat paw edema with 76.39% and 80.32%, respectively induced by carrageenan against the reference anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen (10 mg/kg) (83.10%). Oral administration of F. montana (200 and 400 mg/kg) also significantly (P ⩽ 0.001) reduced the granuloma mass formation in cotton pellet granuloma method. The reducing power and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging were increased at increasing doses of F. montana. The results of the present study demonstrate that the methanolic extract of F. montana possess hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.