Hepatoprotective Activity of Whole Plant Extract Fractions of Marsilea minuta Linn

The objective of the study is to separate and identify the most effective hepatoprotective fraction of methanolic extract of Marsilea minuta (MMME) by fractionating and evaluating its fractions for hepatoprotective activity in three mechanistically devised models viz., CCl4, paracetamol and ethanol-induced liver damage in rats. Excess consumption of certain drugs like antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, acetaminophen, and exposure to some chemicals such as peroxidised oils, aflatoxin, CCl4, alcohol etc make the liver vulnerable to a variety of disorders viz., jaundice, hepatitis etc which are the two major hepatic disorders that account for the high death rate. An acute toxicity study was carried out on the fractions according to the Organization for Economic Corporation Development (OECD)-420 guidelines. Liver damage was induced in different groups of rats by administering 1:1v/v CCl4 in olive oil 1ml/kg.b.w.p.o, 3g/kg.b.w.p.o paracetamol and 5g/kg.b.w.p.o ethanol and the effect of fractions were tested for hepatoprotective potential by evaluating serum biochemical parameters, histology of liver of rats and the most effective bioactive fraction was screened for its effect on hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes (MDMA) and prothrombin time (PT). It was also tested for its antioxidant properties by DPPH method, lipid peroxidation method and for detection of different classes of chemicals present in it. Pretreatment with fractions (toluene, 1-butanol, aqueous at 50, 100mg/kg.b.w) significantly reversed the changes in serum biochemical parameters and histology of the liver caused by the three hepatotoxins namely CCl4, paracetamol and ethanol indicating their hepatoprotective activity. Research using MMME butanol fraction (BF-MMME) provided strong evidence for its hepatoprotective properties in PT, DPPH, and MDMA. While all of the MMME fractions showed notable hepatoprotective efficacy, the most potent hepatoprotective fraction was found to be BF-MMME (50 mg/kg). The findings of the study substantiated the ethnomedicinal value of the plant Marsilea minuta used in the treatment of hepatitis. However, a comprehensive investigation of the bioactive fraction BF-MMME is required to identify the active principle(s) to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity in different models with the mechanism of action for developing a safe and effective herbal hepatoprotective drug.