Hepatoprotective Activity of Cichorium intybus L. Leaves Extract Against Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Toxicity

The effects of different concentrations of the hydroalcoholic extract of dried powdered leaves of Cichorium intybus L., on CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo in rats and CCl₄-induced cytotoxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes were investigated. Rats received different concentrations of the extract by i.p. injection for 3 consecutive days before the injection of (3ml/kg) CCl₄ (i.p.). Twenty four h after CCl₄ injection the animals were sacrificed and the livers were dissected for biochemical and histopathological studies. The results showed that the Cichorium intybus extract could protect the liver from CCl₄-induced damages with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg, but concentrations higher than 200 mg/kg were less effective. For in vitro studies, the extract were added to the suspension of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes incubated in Krebs-Henseleit buffer under a gas flow of 95% O₂ and 5% CO₂, 20 minutes before the addition of 10 mM of CCl₄. The extract with concentrations of 60 to 600 µg /ml protected the cells against CCl₄-induced cytotoxicity, but concentrations of ≥1.5 mg/ml and higher increased the CCl₄-induced cytotoxicity. The Cichorium intybus extract itself was toxic towards isolated hepatocytes in concentrations above 3.6 mg/ml. The results of the present study therefore supported the traditional believes on hepatoprotective effect of the Cichorium intybus extract, however, high concentrations were hepatotoxic.