Antipyretic and antibacterial activity of Chloranthus erectus (Buch.-Ham.) Verdcourt leaf extract: A popular folk medicine of Arunachal Pradesh

Oxidative stress-mediated hepatotoxicity in rats induced by ethanol extracts of different parts of Chloranthus serratus

CONTEXT

Chloranthus serratus (Thunb.) Roem. et Schult. (Chloranthaceae) is an herb widely used as a folk medicine treating inflammatory diseases, although it is toxic.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate hepatotoxicity and related mechanisms induced by ethanol extracts of different parts of C. serratus in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control (Con), ethanol extract of roots (ER), stems (ES), and leaves (EL) groups, and acute oral toxicity studies were conducted. The rats received doses of 4.14, 3.20, and 1.16 g/kg/d extracts for 14 days, respectively. Liver index, liver function and oxidative stress biomarkers, liver pathology, ultrastructure, TNF-α, ICAM-1, and Nrf2/HO-1 proteins expression levels were determined.

RESULTS

The LD₅₀ of ER, ES, and EL were higher than 10.35, 8.05, and 2.90 g/kg/p.o., respectively. The liver indexes in the extract groups increased significantly. EL dramatically increased TP, GLB, AST, ALT, ALP, TBA, MDA, ICAM-1, and TNF-α levels (p < 0.01), and induced the most obvious pathological and ultrastructural changes. ES and EL obviously decreased the T-SOD, GSH, CAT, and CHOL levels. Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins expression was reduced significantly in ES (0.77 ± 0.06, 2.33 ± 0.20) and EL (0.23 ± 0.04, 2.14 ± 0.16) groups, and reduced slightly in ER (1.08 ± 0.10; 3.39 ± 0.21) group.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

ES and EL induce stronger hepatotoxicity than ER through oxidative stress and the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, and the root is a better medicinal part, which provides a basis for clinical research, safe applications, and reasonable development of C. serratus.