Hepatoprotective properties in the rat of Mitracarpus scaber (Rubiaceae)

The effect of Mitracarpus scaber on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute live r damage in the rat has been evaluated. Results showed that treatment with Mitracarpus scaber decoction resulted in significant hepatoprotection against CCl4-induced liver injury both in-viv o and in-vitro. In-vivo, Mitracarpus scaber pretreatment reduced levels of serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (P<0.01 for 250, 500 and 1000 mg kg(-1 )) and serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (P < 0.05 for 250 mg kg(-1) an d P < 0.01 for 1000 mg kg(-1)) previously increased by administration of CC l4. In-vitro results indicated that addition to the culture medium of Mitra carpus scaber extracts significantly reduced glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (P<0.05 for 100 mu g mL(-1) and P < 0.01 for 10 and 1000 mu g mL(-1)) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (P < 0.05 for 10 mu g mL(-1)). Mitracarpus t reatment also resulted in a good (> 93%) survival rate for the CCl4-intoxic ated hepatocytes as demonstrated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-dipheny l tetrazolium bromide assay. Moreover, as in the in-vitro assay, Mitracarpu s scaber had radical-scavenging properties, shown by its reaction with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50, the extract concentrati on resulting in a 50% reduction in the absorbance of DPPH blank solution, = 41.64 +/- 1.5 mu g mL(-1)). The results of this study showed that Mitracarpus scaber had antihepatotoxi c potential, a finding which supports the validity of traditional usage of this drug in Mall for the treatment of liver diseases.