Hepatoprotective Effects of Ethanol Extract of Parkia biglobosa Leaves Against Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Damage in Rats

Background and Objective: Liver diseases are a significant global health issue.Parkia biglobosa is one of the most extensively used medicinal plants in many African countries.This study evaluated the hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extract of P. biglobosa leaves on acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats.Materials and Methods: Adult rats (Wistar strain, n = 35) were randomly assigned into five groups (7 rats/group): Group I (control: given distilled water); Group II (negative control were administered 500 mg/kg b.wt of acetaminophen only); Group III (positive control were administered 500 mg/kg b.wt of acetaminophen and 140 mg/kg of silymarin); Group IV (administered 500 mg/kg b.wt of acetaminophen and 200 mg/kg of P. biglobosa extract); and Group V (administered 500 mg/kg b.wt of acetaminophen and 300 mg/kg of P. biglobosa extract).The treatment lasted 21 days, and animals were sacrificed and blood was collected for the assay of liver function.Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's test in SPSS v20, with results expressed as MeanSD (n = 5) at p<0.05.Results: The acetaminophen caused liver damage, which was evident in a significant increas in the serum activities of Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST), and -glutamyl transferase (GGT) (p<0.05).Also, acetaminophen caused a marked decrease in total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels when compared with the normal control group.Conclusion: However, administration of P. biglobosa extract improved the liver function, as evident in a marked decrease in serum liver enzymes and a significant increase in ALB levels comparable to the standard drug, silymarin (p<0.05).The hepatoprotective potential of P. biglobosa could be related to its previously reported antioxidant compounds.