Affiliations 

  • 1 Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Pathobiology & Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
  • 3 Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Electronic address: miqbal2k2008@hotmail.com
Biomed Pharmacother, 2017 Aug;92:1010-1022.
PMID: 28609838 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.014

Abstract

Plants have been consumed in medicinal practices for centuries. Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br. (Lygodiaceae), also known as Old World Climbing Fern, is a medicinal plant used by local communities in Sabah for skin and dysentery ailments. This study aims to test aqueous extract of L. microphyllum leaves for hepatoprotective and immunosuppressive activity in rats. Animal studies were carried out to evaluate hepatoprotection of aqueous extract of L. microphyllum at different doses (200, 400 and 600mg/kg b.w.) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-mediated liver injury and histopathological alterations. Total phenolic content in aqueous extract of L. microphyllum leaves was 206.38±9.62mg gallic acid equivalent/g. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) for free radical scavenging activity of L. microphyllum was reached at a concentration of 65μg/ml.L. microphyllum was able to prevent the increase in levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, serum aspartate aminotransferase and hepatic malondialdehyde formation in a dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemical results evidenced the suppression of oxidative stress markers (4-hydroxynonenal, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Interleukin-6, Prostaglandin E2). Histopathological and hepatocyte ultrastructural alterations showed protective effects by L. microphyllum against CCl4-mediated oxidative stress. Hepatoprotective mechanism of L. microphyllum can be attributed to its antioxidative effects through protection of ultrastructural organelles.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Similar publications