Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Objectives: Liver diseases represent a major health burden in Egypt. The use of medicinal plants for treating liver diseases has been reported since ancient times. However, the mechanisms underlying the assumed hepatoprotective actions of most medicinal plants are not fully understood.The hepatoprotective mechanisms of alcoholic extract of fenugreek seeds, fennel seed essential oil and alcoholic extract of jujube fruit against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats were investigated. Methods: Albino rats were randomly assigned to nine groups, each consisting of 6 rats. Group 1 received saline and 1% tween 80, group 2 received saline and 1% tween 80 and paracetamol (single dose, 2 g/kg, p.o.), group 3 received silymarin (100 mg/kg/day, p.o. for 7 days) and paracetamol, group 4 received alcoholic extract of fenugreek seed (347 mg/kg/day, p.o. for 30 days) and paracetamol, group 5 received alcoholic extract of fenugreek seed (500 mg/kg/day, p.o. for 21 days), paracetamol, group 6 received fennel seed essential oil (0.2 ml/kg, i.p.) 3 times per week for 7 weeks and paracetamol, group 7 received fennel seed essential oil (0.5 ml/kg/day, i.p.) for 7 days and paracetamol, group 8 received alcoholic extract of jujube fruit (500 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 10 days and paracetamol, and group 9 received alcoholic extract of jujube fruit (1000 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 10 days and paracetamol

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