University Publications

The use of medicinal plants as natural remedies is achieving popularity for cure liver disorders, supported by their safety, cost-effectiveness, and availability. This study is carried out on Wistar rats to evaluate the anti-hepatotoxic activity of aqueous S. argel and O. majorana extracts against CCL4 induced acute liver damages. Twenty-four rats were used and different concentrations of aqueous extracts were administrated orally for 30 days. Hepatic injury was achieved by injecting 3 mL/kg of CCL4 in day 7 subcutaneously. The study showed that there were no differences in mean body weight gain among the groups of rats treated with S. argel. There was significant decrease in the values of MCHC, and significant increase in MCV value, and elevated ALP and AST activities as well as liver and kidney damages. Necropsy finding and serum chemistry indicate that 500 mg/kg S. argel cause hepatic damage in rats. O. majorana extract given to the rats at 250 and 500 mg/kg caused a significant increase in body weight gain, mild alteration in haematological parameters and non-significant decrease in serum ALP and AST activities. The administration of the aqueous O. majorana extracts demonstrated a significant protective effect by lowering the level of hepatic marker enzymes (AST, ALT and ALP) and improving the histological architecture of the rat liver and kidneys, which were compared with Silymarin as standard hepatoprotective drug. In conclusion, the present study revealed that aqueous extracts of O. majorana treatment play protective role by improving the change in histopathological structure against CCl4 - induced liver damages and enhancing liver enzyme activity in rats. The study hypothesized that safety administration of S. argel depends on the accuracy of dose measurement.