oxyacanthine and other alkaloids such as berbamine, palmatine, columbamine, malic

acid, jatrorrhizine and berberrubine (Fatehi et al. 2005). Berberine is an isoquinoline

alkaloid which has a long medicinal background and is found in roots, rhizomes and

stem bark of this plant. It possesses hepatoprotective effects, both preventive and

curative, on CC14-induced liver injury through scavenging the peroxidative products

(Feng et al. 2010).

29.2.6.8 Boerhaavia diffusa

Boerhaavia diffusa is a dried herb which occurs mainly as a weed in India and is also

cultivated in West Bengal. It is commonly known as punarnava and found at an

altitude of 2000 m in Himalayas. The roots of the plant contains alkaloids, ursolic

acid, β-sitosterol, flavones, rotenoid boeravinones A1, B1, C2, D, E and F along with

borhavine, punarnavoside and dihydroisofurenoxanthin. The plant is used as an

expectorant, diuretic and stomachic and also used in jaundice treatment. The roots

of the plant are used by many Indian tribes for the treatment of various liver

disorders. The extract of plant has been evaluated in thioacetamide-induced hepato-

toxicity at a dose of 2 mL/kg (Rawat et al. 1997). B. diffusa extract was also

investigated against CCL4-induced hepatotoxicity in mice at doses of 100, 200 and

300 mg/kg body weight. Treatment with B. diffusa extract resulted in the significant

reduction in serum markers such as alkaline phosphate, ALT, AST, LDH and

bilirubin along with decrease in oxidative stress showing its hepatoprotective effect

(Monali and Ramtej 2014).

29.2.6.9 Crocus sativus

Crocus sativus belongs to family Iridaceae and is commonly known as saffron.

Saffron is dried stigmas and upper parts of styles of plant. It is mainly cultivated in

India at 5300 ft above sea level mainly in Jammu and Kashmir. The main glycosides

present in saffron are crocin and picrocrocin along with lycopene, β-carotene and

g-carotene. It acts as sedative and used as emmenagogue. It is used in liver enlarge-

ment and fevers and has stimulant and stomachic properties (Sharma et al. 2008).

The hydroalcoholic extract of C. sativus petals (CSP) was evaluated against acetyl-

para-aminophenol (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. CSP administration at the

doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg resulted in the decreased levels of alanine aminotransfer-

ase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and bilirubin suggesting its protective

role in APAP hepatotoxicity (Omidi et al. 2014).

29.2.6.10 Curcuma longa

Curcumin is a main active metabolite obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa,

commonly known as turmeric and belongs to family Zingiberaceae. It is mainly

grown in rainy and warm places all over the world such as India, Jamaica, China,

Indonesia and Peru. Turmeric has been used traditionally for jaundice treatment,

other liver disorders, ulcers, inflammation and skin diseases. The extract of turmeric

has been reported to possess hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced liver

damage in in vitro and in vivo. Most of the activities of turmeric are due to its potent

antioxidant activity (Anand and Lal 2016). The ethanolic extract of C. longa (CLRE)

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