Amelioration of Hepatic Injury Through Oxidative Stress Management Employing Methanolic Extract of Crepe-Ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus (J. Koenig) C. Specht) Flower

Abstract

Cheilocostus speciosus (J. Koenig) C. Specht, commonly known as “crepe-ginger,” is a traditional plant with edible flowers utilized in folk medicine. This study uses crepe-ginger flowers to assess their hepatoprotective effects through the management of oxidative stress. C. speciosus flower's methanolic extract (CSF-ME) was subjected to in vitro antioxidant effects were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and in vivo by catalase (CAT) assays which ameliorated CCl₄-induced hepatic injury evident by histopathological analysis. The chemical assay was evaluated via phytochemical screening and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) analysis followed by in silico studies. The antioxidant assay DPPH (IC₅₀ = 179.36 µg/mL) and ABTS (IC₅₀ = 198.27 µg/mL) showed remarkable scavenging activity. Hepatotoxicity experiments demonstrated that CSF-ME improved liver function by positively regulating AST, ALT, ALP, bilirubin, creatinine, LDL, CHO, TG, HDL, and catalase levels. Besides, histopathological analysis revealed normal hepatocyte integrity and microstructures after treatment. Besides, phytochemical screening revealed prospective phytochemical groups, while GC–MS/MS analysis recognized 40 compounds, resulting in auspicious outcomes employing computer-aided studies. The findings indicated that the CSF-ME possesses promising hepatoprotective and antioxidant prospects, which demand further extensive research to develop novel lead compounds from this natural source.