Investigating the Safety and Hepatoprotective Efficacy of Alkaline Extract of Tephrosia purpurea in a Wistar Rat Model

Abstract

Liver damage has become a widespread issue and is a significant metabolic disorder that leads to high rates of mortality and illness worldwide. Finding effective treatments has become a crucial topic in current research since numerous medications can cause toxic effects that harm the liver, thereby increasing interest in the healing properties of medicinal plants with hepatoprotective capabilities to alleviate or heal liver diseases. Various herbal plants have been studied for their ability to protect the liver from damage during the treatment of different liver conditions, with Sharpunkha (Tephrosia Purpurea) being one notable example. This study focuses on the hepatoprotective activity of Sharpunkha Kshar against liver toxicity which was induced by paracetamol in albino rats. Two distinct experiments were carried out: one for acute toxicity testing to confirm safety and another utilizing a paracetamol induced liver toxicity model to assess therapeutic effects. The evaluation of acute toxicity was conducted according to the OECD guideline 423. The findings demonstrate that Sharpunkha Kshar is safe even at a high dose of 2000 mg/kg and shows hepatoprotective effects on par with Liv 52 at a dosage of 200 mg/kg, which includes reducing liver cell death and normalizing biochemical markers.