Hepatoprotective Activity of Nigella sativa Extract in D-Galactosamine Induced Hepatic Injury in Rats

Chronic liver disease (such as hepatitis) is a major health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. Despite the tremendous advancements in modern medicine, there is no effective drug available that stimulates liver function. The search of new drugs to protect hepatic injury has been of recent interest. The use of natural remedies for the treatment of liver disease has a long history and medicinal plants and their derivatives are still used all over the world. Nigella sativa is used as analgesic, antiinflammatory, anti-diarrhoeal, antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulator, bronchodilator, and also said to be hepatoprotective. The aim of this work is to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of Nigella sativa in Wistar rats and to bring about scientific justification for the use of this drug in hepatitis. Healthy male Wistar rats were treated with the extract of Nigella sativa for 14 days and on day 14 hepatotoxicity was induced by the administration of D-galactosamine through Intraperitoneal (IP) route, blood was collected and analyzed for various biochemical parameters, animals were sacrificed for histopathology, and were compared with the effect of Silymarine as a standard drug. The substantially elevated levels of aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and albumin were restored significantly by the extract of Nigella sativa. The histological studies supported these findings. From the present study it can be concluded that, the extract of Nigella sativa has appreciable hepatoprotective potential.