EFFECT OF HD-03, A HERBAL FORMULATION, ON THE ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE SYSTEM IN RATS

The effect of HD-03, a herbal formulation was investigated on the hepa tocellular antioxidant defence system in CCl4 treated rats. Three dose s of CCl4 were administered orally with liquid paraffin (1:1) to induc e hepatic damage. Twenty four hours after the last dose, blood was col lected by decapitation for the estimation of serum ALT and AST. The le vels of antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation and glycogen in the li ver were estimated. Nineteen days pretreatment with HD-03 (750 mg/kg) significantly reversed CCl4-induced changes in serum ALT and AST level s. HD-03 pretreatment also significantly reversed the CCl4-induced cha nges in the different components of the cellular antioxidant system an d lipid peroxidation. Pretreatment with HD-03 significantly restored t he hepatic glycogen levels which were depleted in CCl4 intoxicated rat s. The observed reversal produced by HD-03 in the serum AST and ALT ma y be due to the membrane stabilizing potential which helps in preventi ng the leakage of intracellular enzymes into the systemic circulation. The increase in the hepatic glycogen levels in HD-03 pretreated rats, indicates its preventive effect on subcellular injury caused by CCl4, which leads to glycogenolysis, as a result of disturbance in the intr acellular Ca+2 pool. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation and enhancem ent in the activity of antioxidant enzymes by HD-03 may be due to the direct free radical scavenging activity and reactivation of these enzy mes in the liver. Thus the antioxidant potential and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation may play an important role in the antihepatotox ic activity of HD-03. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.