Anti-Hepatotoxic Activity of Marrubium vulgare L. in Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Toxicity

Different extracts of whole plant of Marrubium vulgare L (Lamiaceae) were investigated for hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic damage in male Albino Wister rats. The activity of these extracts (500-mg/kg b. w for 7 days) was compared with the standard drug silymarin (Silybon-70, 10 mg/kg-b.w). The petroleum ether, chloroform and methanolic extracts have shown significant hepatoprotective activity by reducing the elevated levels of serum enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) by 17.69, 67.0 and 30.80%, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) by 19.0, 22.30 and 39.29%, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by 17.32, 28.99, 35.38% and increased total protein (TP) by 22.49, 31.84, and 34.29% respectively indicating that the methanol extract was the most active among the three extracts as compared to standard drug silymarin, which decreased SGOT by 53.04, SGPT by 55.96, ALKP by 35.87 and increased TP levels by 59.24% against CCl₄ intoxicated rats in comparison to normal control. These biochemical observations were also supplemented by histopathological examinations of the liver sections. The results showed that the methanolic extract was the most active among all the extracts.