Protective effects of extract from sclerotium of the king tuber medicinal mushroom, pleurotus tuberregium (Higher basidiomycetes) on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in wistar albino rats

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of 50% ethanol extract from the sclerotia of Pleurotus tuberregium on hepatocellular integrity of albino rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). Activities of hepatic enzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) were determined in serum. Antioxidant enzyme activities, total protein, and level of malondialdehyde (MDA) were assayed in liver homogenate from treated rats. Oral administration of CCl₄ (2 ml/kg body weight/day) for 7 consecutive days caused hepatotoxicity. There was a significant increase in the activity of serum ALT, AST, and ALP and the level of MDA in the liver. However, the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase, which are antioxidant enzymes, were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Concomitant treatment with 250 mg/kg body weight of extract and CCl₄ for 7 consecutive days resulted in a significant decrease in the activity of liver marker enzymes [46% (ALT), 67.25% (AST), and 68.51% (ALP)]. These activities were further decreased [68.24% (ALT), 78.39% (AST), and 75.38% (ALP)] when the extract was increased to 500 mg/kg body weight. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, total protein, and MDA content of the liver were improved to levels that are not significantly different from the control. These findings, therefore, suggest that ethanol extract from the sclerotia of P. tuberregium has a protective action against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity.