Effect of E. longifolia jack on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats

Abstract

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (ELJ, Tongkat Ali)-Family Simarubaceae is an herbal medicinal preparation having widespread use among South East Asian nations in a form of beverage for its aphrodisiac action. In this study, we attempted to investigate possible hepatoprotective effect of this herbal medicine using CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity model in rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced by oral administration of 4.0g/kg of CC14 in corn oil (1:1) once to one experimental group of 5 rats and, in three other similar groups, challenged doses (300, 750 and 1500mg/kg respectively) of ELJ were given one day before and one hour after 4.0g/kg CC14 and then once daily for three consecutive days. Three other groups of 5 rats each serving as controls were administered with distilled water, corn oil and ELJ (750mg/kg) only respectively. Rats were sacrificed on day three (corn oil & CC14 treated groups) and on day 4 (Distilled water, ELJ alone and CC14 with graded doses of ELJ treated groups) and samples of blood and liver tissue were taken for biochemical (serum) and histopathological examinations to determine if any, the optimum hepatoprotective dose of ELJ against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. Results obtained indicated that in the low (300mg/kg) and medium (750mg/kg) dose ELJ treated groups, CC14 induced moderate inflammation, fatty acid change and necrosis of hepatocytes while in the high (1500mg/kg) dose ELJ, CC14 induced severe inflammation, fatty acid change and necrosis of hepatocytes. Furthermore, biochemical measurements of ALT and ALP shows a moderate and insignificant reduction of serum levels in the low dose ELJ group but a more significant reduction in the medium and high dose ELJ groups when compared with the CC14 only group. The non-significant increase in serum total bilirubin caused by CC14 was not significantly affected by any of the ELJ treatment doses. Animals treated with CC14 alone and in groups treated with both CC14 and graded doses of ELJ had a reduction in body weight, food and water intake but in ELJ (750mg/kg) only treated group, no such reduction in body weight, food and water intake was observed. This observation suggest that E. longifolia administered alone did not affect or cause any toxic effect to the liver but in combination with CC14, appear to enhance or synergise the CC14-induced hepatotoxicity which increases as the dose of E. longifolia is increased. The anorexic, hypodypsic and reduced body weight evident in the CC14 alone and in E. longifolia and CC14 treated groups but not in animals treated with E. longifolia alone suggests that E. longifolia alone does not induce anorexia, hypodypsia or loss of weight. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that E. longifolia is not hepatotoxic when given alone but also failed to protect rats against CC14-induced hepatotoxicity.