Volume :
4
Issue :
1
Abstract :
Liver, the most vital organ present in the human body, plays a major role in metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics and is vulnerable to a wide variety of metabolic, circulatory and neoplastic insults. Modern medicine offers limited success in providing effective cure and there is a need to develop herbal drugs capable of healing toxic liver damages. Vitex agnus-castus (Verbenaceae), generally called as the Women’s herb, has a folklore claim of treating liver disorders. In the present study preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro hepatoprotective studies of Vitex agnus-castus were performed. The phytochemical studies showed the presence of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, saponin, phytosterol and phenolic compounds. The in vitro hepatoprotective activity on the berries of Vitex agnus-castus was carried out using different extracts by MTT assay using normal Chang liver cell line by paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity method. Ethyl acetate extract showed high protection against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity and was found to be the best extract when compared to the other extracts.