10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Liver cirrhosis is the end-stage consequence of chronic liver injury, characterized by progressive fibrosis, nodular regeneration, and loss of normal liver architecture and function. It results from long-standing liver inflammation and damage caused by a variety of etiologies including chronic viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV), alcohol abuse, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), autoimmune hepatitis, and exposure to toxins like carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) This study reports the evaluation of Phyllanthus amarus (whole plant) ethanolic extract on Carbon Tetrachloride {CCl4} -induced Liver injury in rats. A total of 35 male Wistar rats were used for the experiment with an average weight (22.57 ± 5.50g) were randomly assigned into seven groups {A-G} of five animals each. CCl₄ was orally administered to groups B-G for three alternate days per week for 2 weeks, in order to induce liver damage. Animals in group A {Positive Control}, group B {Negative Control}, group C {Ursolvi treated} were administered distilled water and the standard drug respectively, while those in the groups D-G received whole plant ethanolic extracts of Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Root only of Phyllanthus amarus respectively for 21 days. The parameters studied include; liver function indices (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, ALB etc.), heart function indices (HDL, CHOL, TRIG, CK-MB), kidney function indices(urea, creatinine, uric acid), anti-inflammatory indices (NO, Caspase 9, Interleukin 10) and antioxidant indices (CAT, GPx, GR, GSH, MDA, SOD). Also assessed, was the effect of Phyllanthus amarus ethanolic extract (whole plant) on liver histopathology and fibrosis in CCl4-induced liver injury rat. At the end of the treatment with the plant extracts, there was significant differences (P<0.05) in the ameliorative effect of all the treatment groups in comparison to the negative control group. The results suggested that the post-induction treatment with Phyllanthus amarus extracts ameliorated the injurious effects earlier caused by CCl4-induced liver injury. Especially that of the evening-plucked Phyllanthus amarus ethanolic extract of the whole plant and the root alone of Phyllanthus amarus ethanolic extract. The histopathology architecture of the negative rats were fully distorted because of CCl4 used as an inducer, while in the treatment groups, starting from the standard group to those treated with Phyllanthus amarus ethanolic extract morning, afternoon, evening and ethanolic extract of the root, restoration of the liver architecture back to normal were observed.It was therefore recommended that ethanolic extracts of evening-plucked Phyllanthus amarus at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg may be considered in the development of therapeutic strategies or drug formulations for the clinical management of liver injury.