Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effect of Dolichousnea longissima (Ach.) Articus Extract against Cisplatin Induced Liver Damage in Wistar Rats

Although it is being an extremely potent cytotoxic drug, cisplatin has vital poisonous adverse effects limiting its use like nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity and ototoxicity hepatotoxicity. It is thought that cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity is caused by oxidative stress ensuing from raised reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study was designed to scrutinize the hepatoprotective effect of plant extract from a lichen species, Dolichousnea longissima (DUL) at doses, 100 and 200 mg/kg, against cisplatin induced hepatic damage. 30 wistar albino rats were divided into 5 groups, including 2 experimental, 1 control and 1 standard, 5 mg/kg/day of cisplatin was injected intraperitoneally (I.P) daily for 7 days. Following liver damage, DUL was applied at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg for 7 days. The group given normal diet and water was given a control group. Alanine aminotransferase, Aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, creatinine, urea and bilirubin were evaluated in the serum samples obtained from the rat groups. Liver tissues were removed and were assessed for antioxidant parameters and histological examination. The treatment with DUL along with cisplatin showed noticeably increased hepatic level in SOD, CAT, GPX and reduced malondialdehyde level. The results also showed that 200 mg/kg daily dose of DUL might be considered to have hepatoprotective effect by battening the studied biochemical and antioxidant parameters and also tissue histological structures. Thus, DUL could be potentially used as a hepatoprotective agent at a dosage of 200 mg/kg b.w against liver toxicity induced by cisplatin.