The in vitro antioxidant and in vivo hepatoprotective effects of crude ethanolic extracts of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) seeds were evaluated in male Wistar rats against ethanol induced liver damage in preventive and curative models. The antioxidant activity of M. oleifera was assayed by DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenging activity. The various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid. In two different set of experiments, the M. oleifera

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... s (50,100 and 300 mg/kg body weight (bw), and silymarin (100 mg/kg bw) were administered orally in both the studies. Liver injury was induced by 40% ethanol administration (3.76 gm/kg bw, orally) for 25 days. In the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil(DPPH), hydroxyl and superoxide radical scavenging activity, the IC 50 values of ethanolic extract were 196.45 ± 0.25, 175.57 ± 0.39 and 213.15 ± 0.27 µg/ml respectively. The level of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin were determined to assay hepatotoxicity. Ethanol administration caused severe hepatic damage in rats as evidenced by elevated serum AST, ALT, ALP and total bilirubin levels. The M. oleifera and silymarin administration prevented the toxic effect of ethanol on the above serum parameters in both preventive and curative models. The present study concludes that ethanolic extract of M. oleifera seeds has significant antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity against ethanol induced hepatotoxicity, which may be associated with its high bioactive compounds including glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, thiocarbamates, and flavonoids and antioxidant properties. Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol for a period of 25 days. Group 3: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol and 50 mg/kg bw of M. oleifera extract simultaneously for 25 days. Group 4: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol and 100 mg/kg bw of M. oleifera extract simultaneously for 25 days. Group 5: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol and 300 mg/kg bw of M. oleifera extract simultaneously for 25 days. Group 6: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol and 100 mg/kg bw of silymarin simultaneously for 25 days. Curative study: Evaluation Of In Vitro Antioxidant Activity And In... 12 Group 1: Normal control rats which received 2% gum acacia for 50 days. Group 2: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol for a period of 50 days. Group 3: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol daily for a period of 25 days and then received 50 mg/kg bw of M. oleifera extract for next 25 days. Group 4: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol daily for a period of 25 days and then received 100 mg/kg bw of M. oleifera extract for next 25days. Group 5: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol daily for a period of 25 days and then received 300 mg/kg bwof M. oleifera extract for next 25days. Group 6: Received 3.76 g/kg bw of ethanol for 25 days and then silymarin 100mg/kg orally for next 25 days. Administrations were done orally. Silimarin was the reference hepatoprotective agent. In preventive study, blood samples were collected on 0 th and 26 th day and in curative study, blood samples were collected on 0 th , 26 th and 51 st day from rats retro-orbital plexus. Blood samples were collected into centrifuge tubes and were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 30 min to obtain the serum, used for the analysis of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin in Semi-auto analyzer (Screen master-3000).