European Journal of Medicinal Plants

Aim: To investigate the possible antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of purified extract obtained from aerial parts of Astragalus glycyphyllos (EAG) using in vivo model of CCl₄-induced liver damage in male Wistar rats.

Study Design: A total of 36 animals were randomly allocated in six experimental groups, each consisted of six animals: Control rats (Group 1), rats challenged orally with CCl₄ (10% solution in olive oil) (Group 2), rats treated for 7 days with silymarin (100 mg.kg^-1, 0.5 mL/100 g) alone (Group 3) and challenged with CCl₄ after 7-day pre-treatment with silymarin (Group 4); animals in groups 5 and 6 were either treated with  EAG (100 mg.kg^-1, 0.5 mL/100 g) alone or challenged with CCl₄after 7-day pre-treatment with the extract.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacognosy and Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Drug Toxicity, Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology, between August and November 2014.

Methodology: On day eight of the experiment the animals in all groups were sacrificed and livers were removed and the following biochemical markers of oxidative stress: MDA quantity, GSH levels, GPX, GR and GST were measured spectrophotometrically.

Results: It was found that EAG has statistically significant effect on hepatic antioxidant defense system in in vivo model of carbon tetrachloride liver damage in rats. A hepatoprotective effect comparable to silymarin can be supposed.

Conclusion: The results indicate that EAG has similar significant protective effect against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in rats as silymarin. This may be explained with the antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of its bioactive compounds.