Phyllanthus amarus Aqueous Extract as Antidote to Alcoholic Liver Injury

Objective: In most human communities, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is unregulated with negative impact on health. The liver is one of the major organs that bear the brunt of regular and or heavy consumption of alcohol. This study set out to elucidate the modulation of alcohol induced liver injury in wistar rat by aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus plant.

Methodology: Five groups of six animals each were used for the study. Group CN was the control. The alcohol only group (ALC) had 1ml / 100g body weight (b.w) of 43% ethanol. The Extract only group (EXT) had 200mg/ Kg b.w of P.amarus aqueous extract. The Low Extract plus Alcohol group (LEA) had concomitant administration of 1ml/100g b. w of 43% ethanol with 200 mg/ Kg of the extract. The High Extract plus Alcohol group (HEA) had concomitant administration of 1ml/100g b. w of 43% ethanol and the extract at 400 mg/ Kg. The alcohol and extract were administered once daily for fourteen days. Thereafter, blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses, the animals sacrificed and livers harvested for histopathological analyses.

Results: Group HEA had the highest mean body weight. The mean liver weight of group EXT was significantly higher than those of other groups. Both the total protein and its globulin fraction of the ALC group were significantly lower than those of others. The liver enzymes (Alanine and Aspartate transaminases) levels were significantly low in the ALC group. However, those of the LEA and HEA groups were comparable with the EXT group. The glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities of the LEA and HEA groups were significantly higher than that of ALC. Lipid peroxidation was most severe in the ALC group as evidenced by the significantly high malondialdehyde level. Histopathological sections of the liver revealed preserved hepatic architecture with pronounced steatosis in the ALC group.

Conclusion: Aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus considerably reduced the severity of alcohol induced liver injury.