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 fro m Piper longum and Piper nigrum, was evaluated for its antihepatotoxic potential in order to validate its use in traditional therapeutic for mulations. This plant principle exerted a significant protection again st tert-butyl hydroperoxide and carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity by reducing both in vitro and in vivo lipid peroxidation, enzymatic leak age of GPT and AP, and by preventing the depletion of GSH and total th iols in the intoxicated mice. Silymarin, a known hepatoprotective drug was tested simultaneously for comparison. Piperine showed a lower hep atoprotective potency than silymarin.