Hepatoprotective effect of Ocimum basilicum aqueous extract against doxorubicin-induced hepatic damage in albino rats

Abstract. Boulaares I, Derouiche S, Guemari IY. 2024. Hepatoprotective effect of Ocimum basilicum aqueous extract against doxorubicin-induced hepatic damage in albino rats. Asian J Trop Biotechnol 21: 68-74. This investigation aimed to evaluate the effect of Ocimum basilicum L. aqueous extract (ObE) on hepatotoxicity induced by doxorubicin in rats. Standard procedures were used to extract bioactive compounds and to analyze phytochemical compounds quantitatively and qualitatively. The in-vivo study was performed using 15 female albino rats that were grouped into 3 groups (n=5): a control group, a doxorubicin-treated group (DOX), and a group co-treated with doxorubicin and O. basilicum aqueous extract (DOX + ObE). Various biochemical, enzymatic, and liver oxidative stress markers were analyzed. Phytochemical results demonstrated that the ObE contained highly phenolic compounds. The results of the in vivo study showed that the treatment of doxorubicin caused a significant decrease of WBC (P?0.01), lymphocyte (P?0.05), also a significant increase in GOT (p<0.05), CPK (p<0.001) and LDH (p<0.05) activities compared to control group/normal rats. In addition, doxorubicin-treated rats resulted in a significant decrease in GSH (p<0.01) and an increase in MDA (p<0.01), SOD (p<0.001), and GST (p<0.01) levels in liver cells compared to the control group. Treatment with ObE partially reversed all of the previously mentioned parameters. This study indicated that basil aqueous extract's antioxidant activity could protect the liver from the harmful effects of doxorubicin or the destructive effects of various liver diseases such as hepatitis or other drug hepatotoxicity.