Sapium ellipticum (Hochst) Pax leaf extract: Antioxidant potential in CCl4-induced oxidative stress model

Abstract

Objective

The antioxidant potential of Sapium ellipticum (SE) extract was examined against CCl₄-generated reactive species in experimental rats, using Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and L-Ascorbic acid (L-AA) as reference antioxidants.

Methods

Animals were assigned to six experimental groups (n = 6): Control, CCl₄-treated, CCl₄  +  SE (400 mg dosage) treated, CCl₄  +  SE (800 mg dosage) treated, CCl₄  +  L-AA (100 mg dosage) treated and CCl₄  +  BHT (100 mg dosage) treated. Single intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ was used to induce oxidative stress whereas treatments with SE, LAA and BHT were done orally (p.o) for 28 days.

Results

SE elicited notable antioxidant capacity both in the liver and kidney, mainly through anti-peroxidation and promotion of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. The extract at the two doses did not differ significantly in its antioxidant activities. Relative to CCl₄-untreated group, SE particularly at 800 mg dose significantly (p < .05) lowered the degree of peroxidation (69.74% and 47.75%) and improved the activities of SOD (45.12 and 51.2%) and CAT (30, 21 and 28.49%) in the liver and kidney respectively. The extract also increased reduced glutathione (GSH) level in the kidney but the change was not significant when compared with the CCl₄-untreated group.

Conclusion

SE extract appears to have the phyto-proficiency to protect against membrane peroxidation and improve the activities of some first line antioxidant enzymes such a SOD and CAT in vivo. This is probably due to its array of bioactive compounds (α-tocopherol, amentoflavone and lupeol) which we have previously identified and reported.