Protective Effects of the Extract of Combretum indicum Flowers and Leaves Against Methanol-induced Liver Damage and Formaldehyde Formation

Background: Methanol metabolites are capable of triggering various disorders in the body, affecting organs, such as the eyes and liver. One method to overcome these issues is to search for compounds that function as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibitors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential antidotal compounds derived from Combretum indicum varr. B. flowers and leaves, using them for the treatment of methanol poisoning. Methods: C. indicum samples were macerated using 96% ethanol, and the extract was administered to Wistar rats at three doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg. We evaluated the differences in cells using the Manja Roenigk Histopathology Scoring model, with ranitidine being the control. Results: The administration of C. indicum leaf extract significantly increased the total protein and globulin levels in the animals. The extracts at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses reduced the liver enzymes, alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase. The average liver damage scores for doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of C. indicum extract were 1.0, 0.8, and 0.5. The score for liver damage in the positive control was negative (-1.2), while the group treated with ranitidine had a 0.3 score. Conclusion: The study results indicated that the extract of C. indicum leaves had the ability to reduce the production of formate in the blood and enhance liver conditions at a dose of 300 mg/kg, thus effectively inhibiting liver damage.