Biomedical Research

Hepatitis-C is a global public health problem in India, and responsible for major chunk of morbidity and mortality. The present study focuses on effect of phyllanthus amarus therapy for protection of liver in hepatitis-C through investigating liver profile enzymes, antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant vitamins and lipid peroxidation. The study consists of 50 clinical diag-nosed hepatitis-C patients ranging in between age group 25-60 years. The control group in-cludes 50 ages and sex matched normal healthy persons. Oxidative stress was assessed by es-timating lipid peroxidation [LPO]. The parameters like serum bilirubin, total proteins and activity of liver profile enzymes were done. Activity of enzymatic antioxidants, superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxides [GPx], catalase and levels of non-enzymatic anti-oxidant vitamin E and vitamin C was measured in plasma or erythrocytes. Methods used in the study are mainly enzyme kinetics by autoanalyzer and by turbidimetry. Plasma LPO levels were significantly high but activity of SOD, GPx, catalase and levels of vitamin E and vitamin C were significantly lowered in hepatitis- C on comparison with controls. After phyllanthus amarus therapy for 5 weeks and 10 weeks plasma LPO levels were significantly decreased and activity of SOD, GPx, catalase and vitamin E and vitamin C were signifi-cantly increased in hepatitis-C. The present study concludes that, hepatitis-C increases oxi-dative stress and may be playing an important role in hepatic cell damage and pathogenesis of hepatitis-C. This study strongly suggests that the therapy with phyllanthus amarus in-creases antioxidants and reduces lipid peroxidation of hepatic cellular and intracellular membranes and protects liver damage due to free radicals in hepatitis-C.

Author(s): Padmaja S. Nikam, Shashikant V. Nikam, Ajit V. Sontakke, Chitra C. Khanwelkar
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