EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF BEGONIA CRENATA ROOTS

The objective of the present study is to evaluate antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of methanol extract of Begonia crenata roots. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by using Diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging methods. The hepatoprotective activity of the extract was studied using wistar rats. The radical scavenging activity of the extract was found to be concentration dependant and comparable with ascorbic acid. In the hepatoprotective activity study, CCl₄ significantly increased the level of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) and total bilirubin (T.BILL). The rats were treated with methanol  extract of Begonia crenata  at doses of (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg p. o.) exhibited a significant reduction of SGOT, SGPT, SALP and T.BILL and the inhibition was comparable with silymarin (50 mg/kg p.o). The studies revealed that Begonia crenata extract showed significant antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity.

Key words: Antioxidant, hepatoprotective, Begonia crenata, methanol, biochemical estimation, CCl₄.