RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Picroliv, isolated from the root and rhizome of Picrorhiza kurroa, is known to have significant hepatoprotective activity. Its effects against Entamoeba histolytica induced liver damage are not studied. This study aims to evaluate the hepatoprotective action of picroliv against the hepatotoxic changes induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) and E. histolytica infection in three animal models. METHODS: Mastomys, gerbils and albino Druckray rats were used in this study. A total of 30 animals were used for each model and divided into five groups of six animals each. Group I consisted of normal animals. The rest received six doses of CCl(4) intraperitoneally. Group II served as hepatotoxic control. The remaining animals were infected intraperitoneally with E. histolytica trophozoites, of which group III was the hepatotoxic plus amoeba infected control. The remaining animals were divided into two groups, one received hepatoprotective agent picroliv and the other silymarin. All animals were sacrificed seven days post amoeba infection. RESULTS: Increase in the enzyme levels induced by CCl(4) was further elevated after E. histolytica infection. Pinpoint abscesses were found to develop only in gerbils after E. histolytica infection. Picroliv was found to possess hepatoprotective activity against amoebic liver abscess. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: Significant recovery obtained in serum enzyme levels in all animal models and against amoebic liver abscess in gerbils on treatment with picroliv indicated that picroliv possesses therapeutic activity against E. histolytica induced hepatic damage.
Asunto(s)
Tetracloruro de Carbono/toxicidad , Cinamatos/uso terapéutico , Entamoeba histolytica , Glicósidos/uso terapéutico , Absceso Hepático Amebiano/tratamiento farmacológico , Fitoterapia/métodos , Picrorhiza/química , Ácido Vanílico/uso terapéutico , Animales , Antiprotozoarios/uso terapéutico , Hígado/efectos de los fármacos , Hígado/patología , Absceso Hepático Amebiano/inducido químicamente , Absceso Hepático Amebiano/parasitología , Muridae , Extractos Vegetales/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
In an earlier study we reported the effect of ethanol extracts of Piper longum fruit against caecal amoebiasis in rats. A follow-up study to determine whether the roots possess similar antiamoebic activity was carried out. The ethanolic extract of roots was amoebicidal at 1,000 microg/mL in vitro and cured 88% of caecal amoebiasis cases, suggesting that both the root and fruit of P. longum possess antiamoebic activity to approximately the same extent.