Effect of Premna tomentosa on rat liver antioxidant defense system in acetaminophen-intoxicated rats.

Premna tomentosa is a medicinal plant used as an effective treatment for he patotoxicity in ayurvedic medicine. Premna tomentosa extract was examined f or antioxidant activity to determine whether antioxidant activity could acc ount for the antihepatotoxic activity. The antioxidants studied were glutat hione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathine peroxidase, glutathione r eductase and glutathione-S-transferase. The activities of antioxidants were decreased in acetaminophen treated rats. The changes in the activities of antiperoxidative enzymes in drug toxicity suggests increased peroxidation a nd increased damage to the tissues. Pretreatment with Premna tomentosa (750 mg/kg body weight, orally) reverses the deleterious effects of acetaminoph en. Activities of antioxidants were significantly increased in Premna tomen tosa pretreated rats. The results indicate that the crude extract of Premna tomentosa exhibits hepatoprotective action partly through correction of ox idative stress and validates the traditional use of this plant in hepatic d amage.