Hepatoprotective Effect of <I>Ipomoea cairica</I> Leaf Extract against Acetaminophen Hepatotoxic Effect in Rats viz antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities

Background: Acetaminophen is one of the over-the-counter drugs commonly used by humans as a pain reliever. While it is generally safe at a prescribed dose, misuse and overdose of the drug make it one of the substances linked to liver damage. Ipomoea cairica is one of the medicinal plants reported to be an alternative source of treatment and prevention of toxic effects of chemicals against organ function. This study evaluated the hepatoprotective effect of I. cairica leaf extract against the hepatotoxic effect of acetaminophen in rats. Methods: Thirty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups of seven rats each. I: Normal control; II: orally administered 2000 mg/kg of acetaminophen (ACET); III: orally administered 100 mg/kg Methanolic extract of I. cairica (MEIC) for 14 days before single dose administration of ACET; IV: orally administered 250 mg/kg of MEIC for 14 consecutive days before single dose administration of ACET V: orally administered 250 mg/kg of MEIC for 14 consecutive days. Animals were sacrificed 24 hours after the last administration. Blood was collected and processed for markers of lipidaemia and hepatic function. The liver was excised and processed for antioxidant, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory activities Results: The results showed that ACET (group II) caused a significant increase in the concentration of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). In contrast, the concentration of HDL was significantly reduced when compared to the rats in the control group. Pretreatment with MEIC at a higher dose was able to prevent the production of malondialdehyde(MDA) and phosphatidylserine (PC) as well as glutathione (GSH) levels. MEIC also prevented the depletion of SOD and CAT activities by ACET. In addition, ACE overdose elevated the activities of NADPH oxidoreductases, xanthine oxidases, and MPO. However, administration of the two doses of MEIC was able to reverse all the toxic effects of acetaminophen on hepatic tissues. Conclusion: The results provided scientific proof of the potential of I. cairica to protect against hepatotoxicity that can be linked to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the plant.