An acqueous extract of Bidens pilosa L. protects liver from cholestatic disease: experimental study in young rats

Abstract

Purpose:To test the hepatoprotective effect of water extract from Bidens Pilosa L. (BPE) in cholestatic liver disease induced by ligature and resection of the common bile ducts (LRBD) in young rats. Methods: We studied four groups of ten 21 days old (P21) Wistar rats, Group SW: sham operation and water; Group SD: sham operation and BPE (160 mg of fresh leaves/100 g of body weight/day); Group LW: LRBD and water and Group LD: LRBD and BPE daily. Pentobarbital sleeping time (PST) and serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were determined after the sacrifice (P70). A Ruwart's score for hepatic fibrosis (RS) was given to each animal. Were employed two way ANOVA and the test of Tukey or a non-parametric test for multiple comparisons. Results: There were statistically significant differences between LW and LD in the measurements of the PST ((means LW=390; LD=173), AST (means LW=8, LD=5), ALT (medians LW=2; LD=1) e RS (medians LW=2; LD=1). Conclusion: BPE could be used in the phytotherapy of the hepatic damage induced by chronic obstructive cholestasis, because protects liver function, decreases the rate of necrosis and liver fibrosis in cholestatic liver disease. Key words: Bidens. Phytotherapy. Cholestasis, Extrahepatic. Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary. Rats. RESUMO Objetivo:Testar o efeito hepatoprotetor do extrato aquoso de Bidens pilosa L. (EBP) na doença hepática induzida pela ligadura e ressecção do ducto biliar comum (LRDBC) em ratos jovens. Métodos: Estudamos ratos Wistar com 21º. dia de vida (P21) divididos em quatro grupos de 10 animais, Grupo SA: operação simulada e água; Grupo SD: operação simulada e EBP (160mg de folhas frescas/100g de peso corporal/dia); Grupo LA: LRDBC e água e Grupo LD: LRDBC e EBP diariamente. O tempo de sono por pentobarbital (TSP), aspartato (AST) e alanina (ALT) aminotransferase foram determinadas após o sacrifício (P70). O Score de Ruwart (SR) para fibrose hepática foi atribuído para cada animal. Foi realizada análise de variância com dois fatores e pelo teste de Tukey para comparações múltiplas ou por teste não paramétrico. Resultados: Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre LA e LD nas variáveis: TSP (médias LA=390; LD=173), AST (médias LA=8, LD=5), ALT (medianas LA=2; LD=1) e SR (medianas LA=2; LD=1). Conclusão: EBP poderá ser empregado na fitoterapia da doença hepática induzida pela colestase obstrutiva crônica, pois protege a função hepática, diminui a velocidade de necrose e a intensidade da fibrose hepática na obstrução biliar extra-hepática.

Chemistry and pharmacology of Bidens pilosa: an overview

“…Three variants of B. pilosa, including B. pilosa L. var Minor, protect the liver from injury by various hepatotoxins and have potential as broad-spectrum hepatoprotective agents (Chih et al 1996). The aqueous extract of B. pilosa displayed protection against liver damage induced by chronic obstructive cholestasis in young rats and was proposed for use as a treatment of an analogous disease in children (Suzigan et al 2009). Some phytosterols, such as b-sitosterols, compounds 285 and 286, have anti-nociceptive effects (Santos et al 1995).…”

Efficacy ofBidens pilosaExtract against Herpes Simplex Virus InfectionIn VitroandIn Vivo

“…This plant was originally found in tropical America and later introduced into the Pacific region and parts of Asia including Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan. The whole plant or its aerial parts is used in various folk medicines and as a popular ingredient in herbal tea for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, liver-protective, blood-pressure lowering, and hypoglycemic effects [5–11]. Although diverse bioactivities have been identified in B. pilosa , its antiviral activity has not attracted attention so far.…”

Sub-chronic toxicity of the leaf aqueous extract of Bidenspilosa Linn (Asteraceae) in male and female rats

“…These results reinforce the idea that, B. pilosa might have hepatoprotective activity. Such activity of the plant was actually demonstrated by other researchers (Suzigan et al, 2009;Li-Ping et al, 2008;Chin et al, 1996), meanwhile, they opposed to the findings of Ezeonwumelu et al (2011). But according to the latter, there is a likelihood that, reversible damages might be caused by short term administration of B. nitens aqueous extract.…”

“…The observed increases in body weight could be attributed to the nutritive components in their chow, as they were well fed and surely assimilated well their food. Since no significant difference was observed between controls (receiving H 2 O) and test animals (receiving B. pilosa), the increase in body weight cannot be attributed to the components in the plant as revealed by Duke (1997 *P<0.05 significant difference between tests and control groups, f = female, m=male, AV (SD) =average (standard deviation), red blood cell distribution width coefficient variation = RDWcv antimalarial activity due to the presence of acetylene and flavonoids (Brandao et al, 2004), chemo protective activities of ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions (Chiang et al, 2004;Suzigan et al, 2009), anticancer properties by photoactivated polyacetylenes (Hou et al, 1989;Geissberger and Sequin, 1991;Sundararajan et al, 2006), anti-inflammatory properties (Pereira et al, 1999) among others. The mean relative organ weights of rats did not vary significantly in either sex.…”