Preventive and curative effect of Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.

The preventive and curative effect of Lygodium flexuosum on experimentally induced hepatic fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) was evaluated in rats. Hepatic fibrosis was induced in male Wistar rats by CCl(4) administration (150 microL/100g rat weight, oral) twice a week for 10 weeks. In preventive treatment daily doses of Lygodium flexuosum n-hexane extract (200 mg/kg, p.o) was administered for 10 weeks. In curative treatment Lygodium flexuosum extract (200 mg/kg, p.o) was given for 2 weeks after the establishment of fibrosis for 10 weeks. Treatment with CCl(4) caused a significant decrease in body and liver weight. Lygodium flexuosum n-hexane extract prevented or reversed the decline in body and liver weight. Treatment with the extract prevented or restored the elevation of serum AST, ALT and LDH levels. Lygodium flexuosum treatment remarkably prevented or reversed an increase in liver hydroxyproline content in chronically treated rats. Histopathological changes of hepatic lesions induced by CCl(4) were significantly (p < or = 0.05) improved by treatment with Lygodium flexuosum. These results support that Lygodium flexuosum exerts effective protection in carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.