Attenuating liver intoxication induced by acetaminophen with extract of Dicranopteris linearis

A Malaysian research team reported on the hepatoprotective activity of a methanolic extract derived from the common fern Dicranopteris linearis. They reported that the extract protected the liver of mice and rats against toxic levels of acetaminophen (APAP).

The Universiti Putra Malaysia sponsored the study, whose findings were presented in the scientific journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

• The acute toxicity of a single dose of methanolic extract from D. linearis was tested on mice. The extract was furthered investigated for in vitro anti-inflammatory effects and subjected to chromatography.
• A normal control group was pre-treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a hepatotoxic control group received APAP, and a positive control group got silymarin extract. Three other groups received 50, 250, or 500 milligrams per kilogram of methanolic extract from D. linearis. Pre-treatments were given daily for a week, and on the last day, the rats received either DMSO or APAP.
• Blood and liver samples were collected from the treated rats. The former were studied for biochemical analysis while the latter was examined for endogenous antioxidant enzymes and histopathology.
• Pre-treatment with all three doses of methanolic extract successfully reduced the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). The extract also restored the levels of catalase and superoxide dismutase to healthy values.
• Analysis of the livers showed that the hepatic cell architecture improved with increasing dosages of the extract. Chromatographic analyses confirmed the presence of non-volatile and volatile bioactive compounds.

The researchers conclude that the methanolic extract from D. linearis protects the liver by mobilizing the endogenous antioxidant system and providing bioactive compounds with hepatoprotective properties.

The full text is available online.

Journal Reference:

Zakaria ZA, Kamisan FH, Omar MH, Mahmood ND, Othman F, Hamid SSA, Abdullah MNH. METHANOL EXTRACT OF DICRANOPTERIS LINEARIS L. LEAVES IMPEDES ACETAMINOPHEN-INDUCED LIVER INTOXICATION PARTLY BY ENHANCING THE ENDOGENOUS ANTIOXIDANT SYSTEM. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017;17(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1781-5.