Histological study of hepatoprotective aspect of indigo and its isolated isothiocyanate compound against N-Nitrosopyrrolidine in toxicated mice

In the present study, hepatoprotective role of hydroethanol extract of Indigofera tinctoria (HEIT) and its isolated isothiocyanate compound was assessed against hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) inmice at histopathological level. For the study, an isothiocyanate compound ‘ITC-1’ from HEIT was isolated, purified and characterized by using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, and its possible structure was identified as 1-[1,2-Diisothiocyanato-2-(3-isothiocyanato-2,2-dimethyl-propylsulfanyl)-ethoxy]-3-isothiocyanato- 2,2-dimethyl-propane. HCC was induced in mice by administration of Nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) intraperitoneally @120 mg/kg body wt., followed by weekly subcutaneous dose of CCl₄ (3 ml/kg body wt.) for 50 days. Crude HEIT at 100 and 300 mg/kg body wt. and ‘ITC-1’ (15 mg/kg body wt.) were given orally and intra-peritoneally, respectively to NPYR intoxicated mice for 21 days. Silymarin was also administered (25 mg/kg body wt.) to compare the results from plant and ITC-1. Histopathological analysis of liver sections of NPYR treated mice showed obliterated morphological architecture with abnormal hepatocytes and portal triad in comparison to control. Results significantly evidenced that both I. tinctoria and its isolated ‘ITC-1’ superiorly restored cellular architecture than Silymarin.The study concluded that both isolated compound ITC-1 and novel HEIT extract may have future prospects in treatment of liver cancer.