FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS AGAINST CCL4-INDUCED HEPATIC DAMAGE IN WISTER RATS

Abstract

Objective: The present study was aimed to evaluate the anti-oxidant effect of Pleurotus ostreatus using in vitro and in vivo methodology. Methods: Methanolic extract of Pleurotus ostreatus (MEPO) was prepared by cold maceration technique. Rats weighing 150-200 g were divided into 6 groups of six each (n=6). Group I served as control (0.9% Nacl), group II was considered as the positive control, administered with CCl4 dissolved in olive oil (intraperitoneal injection at 0.5 mg/kg body weight), group III was given with CCl4+standard drug sylimarin (100 mg/kg body weight, p. o.), group IV, V and VI were administered with CCl4+MEPO at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg orally for a period of 21 d. The liver injury was induced by the administration of CCl4 intraperitoneally with a single dose of CCl4 (0.5 mg/kg body weight) as a 1:1 (v/v) solution in olive oil. Results: In the Hydroxyl free radical scavenging assay, the IC50 values of the test extract was found to be 72.1±1.68 as compared with the standard drug (IC50-66.3±1.02), which was considered as significant (***p<0.001). In the reducing power assay, all the absorbance values were comparable to standard ascorbic acid and showed maximum reducing ability at the concentration of 500 µg/ml. In the in vivo anti-oxidant study, administration of MEPO to injury-induced rats at the dose of 400 and 800 mg/kg, significantly increased (**p<0.001) the levels of SOD and CAT, with a significant reduction in the MDA levels. Conclusion: The current study explored a potential source for anti-oxidants in the methanolic extract of Pleurotus ostreatus, thus seems to be protective to liver in CCl4-induced hepatic injury.