Fitoterapia 79 (2008) 290–292www.elsevier.com/locate/fitote

Short report

Protective properties of Leucas lavendulaefolia extracts againstD-galactosamine induced hepatotoxicity in rat

J. Kotoky ⁎, B. Dasgupta, G.K. Sarma

Division of Life Sciences, Institute of Advanced Study in Science & Technology Paschim Goragaon,Vigyan Path, Garchuk, Guwahati 781035, Assam, India

Received 20 July 2007; accepted 30 November 2007Available online 9 February 2008

Abstract

Different extracts of the leaves of Leucas lavendulaefoliawere tested against D-galactosamine (D-GalN) induced liver toxicity in rats.Themethanol extract (100mg/kg, p.o.)which exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity seems to support the claim of folkmedicine.© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Leucas lavendulaefolia; Hepatoprotective; D-Galactosamine; Liver ailments

1. Plant

Leucas lavendulaefolia Rees (syn. L. linifolia Spreng) (Lamiaceae) collected locally in the Khanapara area of Guwahati(State of Assam) in 2002–03 was identified by Dr. G. Sarma, Botany Department, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam.Avoucher specimen (No. JK-02/95) is deposited in the Life Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science &Technology.

2. Use in the traditional medicine

The leaves of the plant have a bad taste, and are used as expectorant, carminative, stomachic, laxative, vermifuge,[1,2] and in jaundice [3], migraine [4], as febrifuge, in loss of appetite, snake bite, chronic rheumatism [5,6]. It isreported to be used as anthelmintic, tonic, and in piles, sore ears and seeds are aphrodisiac (Yunani) [2], antipyretic [7],and have anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties [8].

3. Previously isolated constituents

Essential oil, alkaloid, fatty alcohol [9], acacetin, chrysoeriol, linifolioside, linifoliol [10–12].

⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +91 361 2740679; fax: +91 361 2740659.E-mail address: jkotoky@yahoo.com (J. Kotoky).

0367-326X/$ - see front matter © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2007.11.026

291J. Kotoky et al. / Fitoterapia 79 (2008) 290–292

4. Tested material

Petroleum ether (PE, 0.53%), chloroform (CE, 1.19%), methanol (ME, 7.35%), aqueous (AQ, 1.9%) extracts.

5. Animals

Wister rats of either sex, weighing 150–200 g, maintained in standard environmental conditions, and fed withstandard laboratory diet and water ad libitum were used for the experiments.

6. Studied activity

D-GalN, (800mg/kg, i.p.), was used to induce hepatotoxicity in rats [13,14]. Different extracts of the L. lavendulaefolialeaves extracts were administered orally to study the efficacy against D-GalN intoxicated rats. The dose levels 100–300 mg/kg/day in case of ME of L. lavendulaefolia leaves were tested to verify the effects using D-galactosamine ashepatotoxin [14]. The results were compared with a standard hepatoprotective drug, Sylimarin (100 mg/kg body wt.).SGOT, SGPT, ALP, GGT, of the serum and HTG [15] of the rat's liver were estimated after 48 h of intoxication.Microscopic observation of the liver alongwith the bodyweight, liver weight and also food intakewere also studied duringthe experiments.

7. Results

Reported in Table 1.

8. Conclusion

The L. lavendulaefolia leaves methanolic extract showed significant hepatoprotective activity in rats against D-galactosamine induced hepatotoxicity while other extracts PE, CHCl3, aqueous extracts resulted inactive. Theobservations in this experiment seems to support the use of this plant in the treatment of liver ailments in the rural/hillyareas by the traditional herbalists of this region.

Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Director, IASST, for giving the facilities for performing the experiments. Also thanks aredue to Dr. V. Jagadeesan, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India for his advice and help in the work. We alsothank to the DST, Govt. of India for financial support.

Table 1Effects of the L. lavendulaefolia methanol extracts on liver damage induced by D-GalN in rats

Material SGPT (U/ml) SGOT (U/ml) SALP (U/l) SBRN (mg/dl) GGT (U/l) HTG (mg/g)

Control 62.8±13.7 128.4±5.4 59.7±6.7 2.0±0.3 42.3±4.7 14.3±4.9GaLN# 203.4±22.5 278.2±16.3 178.4±15.2 4.7±1.2 98.1±8.3 76.9±6.3MeOH

(100 mg/kg)69.1±10.6 (–) 121.6±9.0 (–) 53.8±4.2 (–) 3.1±0.5 (–) 44.9±7.6 (–) 17.3±4.2 (–)

MeOH (50 mg)+GalN

92.2±8.1⁎⁎ (74.9) 179.1±10.1⁎⁎ (66.5) 94.7±16.2⁎⁎ (70.6) 2.2±0.8⁎⁎ (85.2) 63.9±8.9⁎⁎(61.1) 31.5±7.8⁎⁎ (72.5)

MeOH(100 mg)+GalN

79.6±11.3⁎⁎ (88.1) 137.7±14.4⁎⁎(93.8) 68.9±7.2⁎⁎(92.3) 1.8±0.5⁎⁎ (107.4) 49.5±8.3⁎⁎ (87.0) 27.2±5.4⁎⁎(79.4)

MeOH(200 mg)+GalN

91.0±13.1⁎⁎(79.9) 150.9±15.2⁎⁎(85.0) 80.5±12.7⁎⁎(82.5) 2.1±0.8⁎⁎(96.3) 55.6±3.8⁎⁎ (76.0) 39.9±5.9⁎⁎(59.0)

Silymarin⁎+GalN 68.1±8.2⁎⁎(96.2) 144.9±5.3⁎⁎(89.1) 62.9±4.3⁎⁎ (97.3) 1.2±0.3⁎⁎ (129.6) 43.5±3.1⁎⁎(97.8) 22.3±4.9⁎⁎(87.2)

#800 mg/kg, i.p., ⁎100 mg/kg p.o., values are mean±S.D. n=8, (% Protection) ⁎⁎Pb0.001, Student's t test.

292 J. Kotoky et al. / Fitoterapia 79 (2008) 290–292

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