Uncovering the Efficacy of <i>Cinnamomum tamala</i> Leaf Extract Against Paracetamol‐Induced Hepatotoxicity in <i>Swiss</i> Albino Mice

Cinnamomum tamala belongs to the Lauraceae family, which has diverse traditional and pharmacological roles for treating toothache, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, vomiting, fever, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and others. This research aims to evaluate its protective effects against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. For this, ethanolic leaf extract of C. tamala (ECT) at different doses was administered via oral gavage with or without the standard hepatoprotective drug silymarin, and liver biochemical and histopathological profiles were checked. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and molecular docking studies were performed to check the possible molecular mechanisms behind its hepatoprotective effect. Results suggest that ECT significantly enhances antioxidant capability with lower animal N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine metabolites. The histopathological slides showed minimum inflammation, inflammatory cell infiltrations, and vascular edematous congestion for the ECT individual and co-administration groups. Computational drug discovery approaches validated these results, and the identified compounds from the GC-MS study were subjected to molecular docking, with the top docking score found against the CYP2E1 protein. In molecular dynamics simulation, 1,3-dioxolane, 2-pentadecyl, and butyl 14-methylhexadecanoate showed more root mean square deviation and root-mean-square fluctuation values than silymarin. In conclusion, ECT and its key compounds, butyl 14-methylhexadecanoate (CID 91693030) and 1,3-dioxolane, 2-pentadecyl (CID 552019), may potentially act against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in animals.