This study investigated the hepatoprotective and in vivo antioxidant activity of orally administered chloroform and ethanol Costus afer leaf extracts (20 - 60 mg/kg b.w.) on 1 g/kg b.w. acetaminophen-induced acute hepatic injury in albino rats for 7 days. Result showed no significant difference in plasma and hepatic superoxide activities. Plasma catalase (CAT) activity was significantly reduced in 20 and 40 mg/kg chloroform extracts and 20 mg/kg ethanol extract treated groups. Hepatic CAT activity was reduced significantly at co-administered 20 mg/kg ethanol extract and 1 g/kg ACT treated group. Plasma and hepatic glutathione levels were elevated significantly in chloroform and ethanol leaf extracts treated groups. The plasma and liver glutathione S-transferase activity in the chloroform extract groups were significantly reduced while ethanol leaf extract showed no significant difference. The plasma and hepatic MDA concentrations in the chloroform and ethanol extracts treated groups were found reduced. Further studies showed that the reduction in AST and ALT elevated activities induced by ACT was more profound in ethanol treated groups than chloroform treated groups. Therefore, findings from this present study indicate that the chloroform leaf extract possess high antioxidant effect than ethanol leaf extracts while ethanol leaf extract possess high hepatoprotective potentials than chloroform leaf extract.
Key words: Antioxidant, acetaminophen, Costus afer, hepatoprotective
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