Assessment of Hepatoprotective activity of Ethanolic leaf extract of Alpinia calcarata in experimental animals

This study was designed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of Alpinia calcarata leaf extract in mice. Alpinia calcarata (Family: Zingiberaceae) is a prevalent species in Asia, widely utilized in indigenous medicine to address variety of conditions, including diabetes, bronchitis, stomachaches, asthma, and coughs. Disorders related to the liver are one of the major health problems and increasing day by day. There is a need of satisfactory medication for the prevention and cure of such health complications. The leaves were extracted by maceration process using ethanol as solvent. The animals were categorized into six distinct groups (n=6), including a normal control group, a disease control group (Paracetamol), a standard (silymarin), and Alpinia calcarata (100, 200, 400mg/kg p.o). The animals received treatment for 7 days, after which the hepatoprotective potential of the extract were assessed through serum liver analysis, followed by histopathological studies. Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening exhibited the existence of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids, and amino acids. On pre-treatment with the test extract exhibited significant improvement in hepatic protection in proportional to the dosage. Based on the results, it can be determined that the ethanolic extract of Alpinia calcarata leaf has hepatoprotective activity that varies with the dosage. To determine the mechanism underlying its hepatoprotective activity, Additional research is required to differentiate and characterize the active ingredients.