Sankhadip Bose, Sushomasri Maji, Pranabesh Chakraborty

Abstract

Ixora species (Rubiaceae) contains many important phytoconstituents in the various parts of it and they are also responsible for some important biological activities like antitumour activity, wound healing and antimicrobial activity. The antioxidant capacity of I. coccinea and I. purviflora leaves were assayed for their scavenging abilities against superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide radical, hydrogen peroxide, metal chelation and reducing power. All the extracts inhibited all above said free radicals in a dose-dependent manner. As antioxidant action has been reported to play a crucial role in the hepatoprotection and excellent result of these plants in In Vitro model of antioxidant activity, an attempt has been taken to elucidate the effect on CCl4 induced hepatic damage with reference to biochemical marker enzymes & histopathology. In the present study all extracts of both the plants have been found to reduce both serum ALP and Bilirubin. Treatment with CCl4 increases the levels of total lipid, total triglycerides and total cholesterol in liver. Presence of significantly high concentration of total lipid and cholesterol in the serum of CCl4 treated animals and maintains of these towards near normal values in different extracts administered rats demonstrates the hepatoprotective effect of both the Ixora species.