**8.4 Hepatoprotective effect**

Phenolic-rich fraction of SB leaves (319.33 mg gallic acid equivalent; SBLE) was administered at doses of 25, 50 and 75 mg/kg bw for 7 days in a model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in Sprague Dawley rats [39]. SBLE significantly protected against CCl4-induced increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), c-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), bilirubin, hepatic lipid peroxidation, hydroperoxides, protein carbonyls, as well as depletion of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and decrease in the activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). SBLE protected against histopathological alterations induced by CCl4 such as liver necrosis, fatty changes, and vacuolation. SBLE demonstrated antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects against CCL4 liver injury. These observations were confirmed in another model of CCl4-induced liver injury in male albino rats fed SBLE at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg-bw for 5 days [40]. SBLE at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly restricted the CCl4-induced increase of glutamate oxaloacetate transferase, glutamate pyruvate transferase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. SBLE also enhanced GSH and decreased MDA levels. SBLE (100 mg/ kg) protected against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity, as hepatic cells showed wellpreserved cytoplasm and the liver showed a marked decrease in inflammatory cells. These results confirm the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of SBLE against CCL4 liver injury model.
