This study was designed to investigate the effects of methanolic extract of Polyalthiya longifolia fruits on Nnitrosodiethylamine/ Phenobarbital (DEN/PB) induced Hepatocellular damage with special reference to lipid profile and antioxidant status.Rats received with DEN/PB showed the elevated levels of total cholesterol (p<0.05), triglycerides (TG, p<0.01), free fatty acids (FFA, p<0.05), low density lipoprotein (LDL, p<0.05), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL, p<0.05) and decreased level of high density lipoprotein (HDL), urea and creatinine and glucose levels. Administration of MEPL 200,400 mg/kg.p.o to hepatocellular damage bearing rats orally for 28 days significantly altered the biochemical variations induced by DEN/PB in a dose dependent manner which indicates it’s protective and lipid lowering effects during DEN/PB induced hepatocellular damage in rats. Moreover results from antioxidant studies revealed that, maximum percentage inhibition of DPPH radicals by MEPL was about 76% at 800 μg/mL whereas in the nitric oxide radical scavenging model, the maximum percentage inhibition is about 59% at 800μg/mL and in reducing power method, MEPL demonstrated dose dependent antioxidant activity comparable with Ascorbic acid. Thus, it clearly indicates that MEPL might be beneficial in attenuating the elevated biochemical parameters during DEN/PB induced hepatocellular damage and the results suggested the ability of the extract to combat oxidative stress by quenching free radicals which reveals that, the attenuation due to its antioxidant property.
