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Hibiscus sabdariffa (Linn) (family Malvaceae), is an annual dicotyledonous herbaceous shrub plant popularly known as 'Gongura' in Hindi or 'Pulicha keerai' in Tamil, which is an indigenous edible medicinal plant used in Ayurvedic Medicine in India, China and Thailand. We have investigated the influence of Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf extract (HSEt) on the levels of circulatory ammonia, urea, lipid peroxidation products such as TBARS (thiobarbituric acid and reactive substances), HP (hydroperoxides) and liver marker enzymes such as AST (aspartate transaminase), ALT (alanine transaminase) and ALP (alkaline phosphatase), for its hepatoprotective effect in ammonium chloride induced hyperammonemia. Ammonium chloride treated rats showed a significant increase in the levels of circulatory ammonia, urea, AST, ALT, ALP, TBARS and HP. These changes were significantly decreased in rats treated with HSEt and ammonium chloride. Our results indicate that HSEt offers hepatoprotection by influencing the levels of lipid peroxidation products and liver markers in experimental hyperammonemia and this could be due to its free radical scavenging property and the presence of natural antioxidants. The exact mechanism has to be still investigated and the isolation of active constituents is required.

Temporal oscillations of circulatory thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase and glucose, cholesterol, total protein and aspartate transaminase (AST) were studied under LD (12:12 h) and constant light (LL) (500 lux) conditions after exposing the animal for 21 days. Advances in the acrophase of GSH, SOD, catalase, glucose, total protein and (AST) rhythms and delays in TBARS and cholesterol were found; amplitude and mesor values of these rhythms were found to be altered during constant light treatment. The above said circadian alterations during LL exposure may be due to (1) formation of photooxidants and stress mediated lipid peroxidation, suppression of melatonin (2) modulation of neuroendocrine and neurotransmitters rhythm (3) suppression of sleep -wake cycle (4) feeding and locomotion rhythm. The exact mechanism still remains to be explored and further research needed.

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