Antioxidant Properties and Dose-Dependent Effects of Monkey Fruits (Artocarpus lakoocha) against Paracetamol-Induced Hepato-Renal Toxicity in Rats

In this study, the antioxidant potentials and protective effect of ethanolic extract of monkey fruits (Artocarpus lakoocha) (AL) was investigated against paracetamol-induced toxicity in rats. AL which contains high concentration of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and protein, exhibited high radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power. Administration of paracetamol (500 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days caused severe oxidative stress in liver and kidney, as observed by the significantly higher level of Lipid Peroxidation (LPO) and the associated biochemical markers compared to control rats. Pre-treatment with AL at 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg prior to paracetamol administration for 30 days significantly improved hepatic and renal parameters in a dose-dependent manner. Silymarin (100 mg/kg) was administered as a standard drug for comparison over a similar treatment period. Moreover, AL exhibited the highest protective effect when administered at the highest dose, by lowering serum levels of alanine transaminase (28.25%), aspartate transaminase (29.0%), alkaline phosphatase (27.87%), lactate dehydrogenase (7.51%), γ-glutamyltransferase (31.0%), total bilirubin (69.38%), cholesterol (14.80%), triglycerides (27.52%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (76.12%), creatinine (36.84%), urea (41.08%) and uric acid (34.88%), In addition, significantly increased total protein (50.0%) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (55.79%) with administration of AL was seen when compared with paracetamol-controlled group. Decreased LPO levels in the liver (45.55%) and kidneys (32.0%) confirmed the hepatorenal protective effects of AL, as further confirmed by the histopathological findings. Overall, AL fruit is an excellent source of natural antioxidants and possess hepatorenal protective activity against paracetamol-induced liver and kidney injuries.