HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ECLIPTA ALBA IN PARACETAMOL-INDUCED LIVER NECROSIS

Overdose of paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a leading cause of drug-induced liver injury, and many plant-based remedies are used in traditional medicine to protect the liver. Eclipta alba (family Asteraceae), commonly called Bhringraj, contains ecliptine, wedelolactone, demethylwedelolactone, wedelic acid, apigenin and luteolin, and is traditionally claimed to protect the liver. This study evaluated the hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Eclipta alba against paracetamol-induced liver necrosis in albino rats, in order to validate this traditional claim with scientific data. The extract was administered orally at a dose of 200 mg per kilogram and 400mg per kilogram of body weight. Hepatoprotection was assessed by measuring the serum activities of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase, enzymes that rise when liver cells are damaged, and was further confirmed by microscopic examination of liver tissue. Treatment group showed the most consistent hepatoprotective trend, with AST and ALT values shifting toward the standard group (50.0% and mj83.3% protection, respectively). All treatment groups, including the standard and extract-treated groups, exhibited only mild changes—interface hepatitis, focal cytoplasmic vacuolation, and mild sinusoidal or central vein congestion—without evidence of severe necrosis or architectural disruption. These findings indicate that the aqueous extract of Eclipta alba protects the liver against paracetamol-induced damage and supports its traditional use as a hepatoprotective agent.