Hepatoprotective effects of Allium cepa (onion) extracts against paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats

• Published in: African journal of biotechnology Vol. 13; no. 26; pp. 2679 - 2688
• Main Authors: Ozougwu, J. C., Eyo, J. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 25.06.2014
• Subjects: Allium cepa
• ISSN: 1684-5315; 1684-5315
• DOI: 10.5897/AJB2014.13815

Liver damage due to paracetamol hepatotoxicity is a major health challenge worldwide. It is against this background that this study was designed to determine the hepatoprotective effects of the increasing dosage of Allium cepa methanolic extracts on paracetamol induced hepatotoxic rats. Fifty-four (54) adult male albino rats comprising of nine normal and 45 paracetamol hepatotoxic rats were used for this study. The effects of duration and increasing dosages of A. cepa methanolic extracts produced a duration dependent significant reductions in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and total serum bilirubin (TSB) of paracetamol hepatotoxic rats after the duration of study when compared with those of the paracetamol, normal and silymarin control rats. A. cepa extracts studied showed potent hepatoprotective properties. It was evident that A. cepa extracts was able to reduce significantly all the elevated biochemical parameters due to paracetamol hepatotoxicity and this was collaborated by results of histopathological studies.