Protective effect of HD-03, a herbal formulation, against various hepatotoxic agents in rats

HD-03 is a polyherbal formulation containing plant drugs which are known fo r their hepatoprotective properties in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. In the present study, the formulation was evaluated for its protective effect against diverse hepatotoxic agents viz., paracetamol, thioacetamide and is oniazid. Treatment with HD-03 led to significant amelioration of toxin-indu ced changes in the biochemical parameters. Since the protective effect of H D-03 was observed in all three types of intoxication, which are different i n their primary mechanism of inducing hepatotoxicity, a protective mode of action of HD-03, not specific to the hepatotoxin, is suggested. (C) 1998 El sevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.