Evaluation of Hepatoprotective and Invitro Cytotoxic Activity of Leaves of Chrozophora plicata Linn

The present research involves extraction of active constituents of the leaves of Chrozophora plicata by using soxhlet apparatus with polar and non-polar solvents. Further the extract was subjected to phytochemical screening and the methanolic extract of the leaf reveals the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids and lignans. Acute toxicity study was performed with methanolic extract on the basis of OECD guidelines 423 and the therapeutically selected doses were 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg. Methanolic extract of Chrozophora plicta leaves was subjected to hepatoprotective investigation against CCl₄, paracetamol and thioacetamide intoxicated rats. The serum enzymes such as SGOT, SGPT and ALP were significantly decreased with chrozophora extract at both the doses when compared to toxic controls. Total protein levels were significantly increased with leaf extract whereas total bilirubin and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased with leaf extract. Liver weight was decreased by leaf extract at 400 mg/kg. A histopathological examination of liver fractions has further augmented the biochemical evidences of hepatoprotective function of the plant extract by preserving the hepatic architecture of the liver tissue to near normal. Invitro cytotoxic efficacy of the Chrozophora plicata leaf methanolic extract was assessed with DAL cell lines by using tryphan blue dye exclusion test and MTT assay. It was found that there is an increase in percentage of dead DAL cells with leaf extract in tryphan blue dye exclusion assay and a decrease in percentage of survival cells with MTT assay indicating that the Chrozophora plicata leaf extract possesses significant cytotoxic potential.