Ethnopharmacological based Evaluation of Anogeissus pendula Edgew Extracts for Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential.

Background: Anogeissus pendula has various reported ethnomedicinal uses and is reported to contain phenolic compounds which have antioxidant potential.

Aim: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential and in vivo hepatoprotective activity along with the oxidative stress parameters of stem bark and leaves of Anogeissus pendula for the first time.

Settings and design: Albino rats were divided into seven groups of six animals each. Healthy control (Group I) and toxic control (Group II) received the vehicle. Group III, IV, V, VI and VII were treated with silymarin (100 mg/kg body weight, orally) and two hydro-alcoholic extracts i.e., APB (stem bark) and APL (leaves) at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg b. w., orally, respectively. Hepatotoxicity was induced by allyl alcohol.

Materials and methods: Albino Wistar rats of either sex between 8-12 weeks old were used. The plant parts were collected from Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan, India) and extracted with hydro-alcoholic solvent to get two extracts i.e., APB (stem bark) and APL (leaves) which were investigated for the in vitro antioxidant potential through DPPH radical and H₂O₂ scavenging assay along with in vivo hepatoprotective potential through allyl alcohol induced hepatotoxicity.

Statistical analysis: Statistical comparisons between different groups were done by using one-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results and conclusions: APB showed more potent activity than APL in case of in vitro antioxidant potential with IC₅₀ of 44.29 μg/ml in DPPH radical scavenging activity and 53.09 μg/ml in hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. Both the extracts revealed antioxidant and hepatoprotective potentials in a dose dependent manner but more significant results were obtained in case of APB at 400 mg/kg. More amounts of phytoconstituents might be the reason behind the more significant activity of extract of stem bark than that of the leaves.