Hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extract from globba pendula roxb. Rhizome on an in vivo liver injury model

Globba pendula Roxb. (commonly known as Ngải mọi) has long been used by the Khmer ethnic community and residents of the Mekong Delta region for the treatment of joint pain and chronic inflammatory conditions. Preliminary studies indicate that the rhizome ethanol extract contains high levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, exhibiting strong antioxidant activity. To evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of the ethanol extract from Globba pendula Roxb. rhizome in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced acute liver injury model in mice. The ethanol extract of Globba pendula Roxb. rhizome (collected from Nui Dinh mountain, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, and authenticated at the Institute of Tropical Biology, Ho Chi Minh City) was investigated. Male Swiss albino mice were administered a single intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) to induce acute liver injury.. The extract was administered orally at two doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day for 14 consecutive days. Silymarin at 100 mg/kg was used as the positive control. Hepatoprotective activity was assessed by plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and macroscopic and hispathological examinations of liver tissue. The rhizome ethanol extract from Globba pendula Roxb. at oral doses of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg demonstrated hepatoprotective effects against CCl₄-induced liver injury in mice. Treated mice maintained stable body weight, showed significant reductions in AST and ALT activities, and demonstrated decreased hepatic MDA levels compared with the pathological control group. Histopathological analysis revealed marked attenuation of hepatocellular necrosis and inflammatory infiltration. The ethanol extract from Globba pendula Roxb. rhizome demonstrated hepatoprotective activity in a CCl₄-induced acute liver injury model, indicating its potential as a supportive therapeutic agent for liver disorders.