Hepatoprotective effects ofPortulaca oleraceaextract against CCl₄-induced damage in rats

Abstract

Context: Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L., Portulacaceae) has been traditionally used in folk medicine to afford protection against liver injury, although its actual efficacy remains uncertain. Objective: To evaluate purslane as a hepatoprotective agent, we investigated the protective effect of its ethanol extract against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced hepatic toxicity in rats. Materials and methods: A total of 108 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 12 groups. The first group was maintained as normal control, whereas CCl 4 (0.5 ml/kg bw, 50% CCl 4 in olive oil, i.p.), purslane extract (0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 g/kg bw, intragastrically), and purslane extract (five doses as above) along with CCl 4 were administered to the Groups II, III-VII, and VIII-XII, respectively. The rats were sacrificed on the 30th day, and blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture. Liver damage was assessed by measuring hepatic marker enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, and SOD) and histopathological observation. Results: Treatment with CCl 4 resulted in increased serum activities of marker enzymes with a concomitant decrease in SOD. Histological alterations were also observed in the liver tissue upon CCl 4 treatment. Administration of purslane extract (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 g/kg b.w.) significantly showed a marked tendency towards normalization of all measured biochemical parameters in CCl 4 -treated rats. Histopathological changes also paralleled the detected alteration in markers of liver function. Discussion and conclusion: These results demonstrate that purslane exerts protective effects against CCl 4 -induced damage in rat liver and supports a potential therapeutic use of purslane as an alternative for patients with liver diseases.

Seed oil and seed oil byproducts of common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.): A new insight to plant-based sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids

“…To the best of our knowledge, no reports regarding the cytotoxic effects of purslane seeds and seed products are available in the literature, since most of the existing reports refer to the aerial parts of the plant (Lei, Li, Liu, Zhang, & Liu, 2015;Lim & Quah, 2007). According to Eidi, Mortazavi, Moghadam, and Mardani (2015) and Farshori et al (2014) who studied the cytotoxic effects of purslane aerial parts extract, the potency of extracts could be attributed to various phytochemicals present in plant tissues, including seeds, seed oils and seedcakes.…”

Effects of Portulaca oleracea ethanolic extract on reproductive system of aging female mice

“…Purslane contains many compounds, such as alkaloids, omega-3 fatty acids, coumarins, flavonoids, polysaccharide, cardiac glycosides, and anthraquinone glycosides ( 17 ). In a literature review, there was no evidence of hepatic, renal or lung toxicity in animal exposed to Purslane ( 18 - 20 ).…”

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Activity of Portulaca oleracea Extract on LPS-Induced Rat Lung Injury

“…Portulaca oleracea is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine [40]. Nowadays, many studies have revealed its valuable pharmacologic properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, and neuroprotective [41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48]. PGE 2 is a bioactive lipid associating with inflammation and cancer.…”