10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Liver disease poses a persistent global health challenge, causing approximately two million deaths annually. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil (OGEO) in a thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury model in Wistar rats, combining chemical profiling, in vitro bioassays, and in vivo biochemical, inflammatory, apoptotic, and histopathological evaluations. Forty-eight male rats were assigned to seven groups: distilled water, coconut oil, TAA (200 mg/kg), TAA with silymarin (50 mg/kg), and TAA with OGEO at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg for eight weeks. GC-MS analysis identified thymol (23.28%), γ-terpinene (19.16%), and p-cymene (11.28%) as major constituents. OGEO demonstrated potent in vitro antioxidant (IC50: 17.19–31.24 µg/mL) and anti-inflammatory activities. In TAA-treated rats, OGEO significantly improved liver function by normalising serum biomarkers (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, and bilirubin), restoring albumin and renal parameters, reducing lipid peroxidation, and enhancing antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and glutathione S-transferase. OGEO also suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6), restored IL-10 levels, and reduced caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities. Histopathological analysis showed dose-dependent restoration of hepatic architecture with minimal necrosis, while no haematological toxicity was observed. At 200 mg/kg, OGEO demonstrated hepatoprotective efficacy comparable to silymarin. The findings suggest that OGEO exerts hepatoprotective effects through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.