Investigation of Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activity of Celosia argentea against Tissue Injury Caused by Rifampicin Administration

This study evaluated the antioxidant and possible protective effects of Celosia argentea against tissue injury caused by rifampicin administration. The antioxidant property of the aqueous extract of C. argentea was assessed in-vitro using 2,2-Diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sufonic acid) (ABTS) assays. The results obtained revealed the free radical scavenging ability of the extract against the radicals in a concentration-dependent manner. Administration of rifampicin to rats for 28 days induced a significant increase in the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and increase cholesterol levels in the plasma, liver and kidney while HDL cholesterol was decreased. It also elevated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the liver and kidney. However, co-administration of C. argentea extract to rifampicin treated rats significantly reversed all these rifampicin induced changes. The levels of AST, ALT, ALP and cholesterol in the plasma, liver and kidney were decreased while HDL cholesterol level was increased. In addition, SOD activity was elevated while MDA was depressed when compared to the rifampicin treated rats. The extract of C. argentea was found to be rich in phenolic content and was proved to have no toxic effects on rats when administered alone to normal rats at a dose level of 400mg/kg/day. This study demonstrated that C. argentea leaf extract ameliorates rifampicin-induced hepatotoxicity and could be exploited in the management of hepatotoxic effect associated with rifampicin treatment.