Hepatoprotective Potential of Rind Extract from Nephelium lappaceum L.

in Mice Treated by Paracetamol

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) is a tropical fruit whose rind possesses antioxidant properties. The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effects of RRE on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicities and the possible protective mechanisms involved were investigated in mice.

Swiss albino male mice were randomly divided into five groups. Mice in control group were treated by distilled water (0.1 ml/10g) orally. The mice in test and positive control group were administered orally with RRE in low dose (0.12 g/kg), high-dose group (0.3 g/kg) and (silymarin, 70 mg/kg) for 7 days, respectively. After 24 h from the last administration, the mice were all given paracetamol (250 mg/kg, p.o.), all of them were sacrificed after 24 h and then serum ALT and AST activities and liver GSH was  estimated.

The animals in paracetamol-treated group exhibited a significantly elevation in serum ALT and AST levels compared with normal group, which suggested that the liver was markedly damaged. These levels were lowered by 23 and 27 times by RE at the dosage of 0.3 g/kg, respectively compared with paracetamol-treated group. Treatment with RE abrogated paracetamol-induced GSH depletion and increased GSH concentration by 150 % (0.4971 ± 0.02 µmol/mg protein, p < 0.001) as compared to paracetamol group. These activities are equivalent to silymarin. The results implied that the RE executed a protective effect against liver damage induced by paracetamol through improvement of GSH content.

Keywords: Rambutan; Nephelium lappaceum; paracetamol; liver damage; toxicity; glutathione.

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