Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of phenolic rich fraction of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) leaves.

Present study was aimed to investigate antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of phenolic rich fraction (PRF) of Seabuckthorn leaves on CCl(4) induced oxidative stress in Sprague Dawley rats. Total phenolic content was found to be 319.33 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g PRF and some of its phenolic constituents, such as gallic acid, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin were found to be in the range of 1.935-196.89 mg/g of PRF as determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Oral administration of PRF at dose of 25-75 mg/kg body weight significantly protected from CCl(4) induced elevation in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and bilirubin in serum, elevation in hepatic lipid peroxidation, hydroperoxides, protein carbonyls, depletion of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and decrease in the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The PRF also protected against histopathological changes produced by CCl(4) such as hepatocytic necrosis, fatty changes, vacuolation, etc. The data obtained in the present study suggests that PRF has potent antioxidant activity, prevent oxidative damage to major biomolecules and afford significant protection against CCl(4) induced oxidative damage in the liver.