ABSTRACT
Aims: Hepatotoxicity is a serious health risk and treatment options are inadequate. Polygonum minus Huds. (Family: Polygonaceae) is an antioxidant rich, commonly available plant in Malaysia and used in the Malay folk medicine. The leaves are also considered as one of the salad plants and flavouring agent for food delicacies. The present study evaluates the hepatoprotective activity of methanol extract of P. minus leaves on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Sprague Dawley rats. Methodology and results: Methanol extract of P. minus (MEPM) was prepared by maceration method. The standard drug and MEPM treated groups of rats were administered with silymarin (50 mg/kg) or MEPM (200 mg/kg or 400 mg/kg), respectively for 14 days in both experimental models. All the animals in the CCl4-induced model were administered CCl4 and paracetamol in the other model except to respective normal control group to induce liver toxicity. Estimation of body weight and liver weight, biochemical parameters including total protein, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin levels and histopathological studies were conducted. The MEPM was found to have significant hepatoprotective activity in rats with CCl4 and paracetamol-induced liver damage as noted from the analysis of body weight, serum marker enzyme activity and histopathology. Conclusion, significance and impact study: The MEPM possesses significant hepatoprotective activity while the activity is increased with dose in both experimental models. Inclusion of P. minus leaves in the food may be recommended as it may help to counteract different types of chemical-induced liver damage.