60 μg/ml in DPPH and 53.80 μg/ml in superoxide radical scavenging model for E. viride roots. Histopathological findings indicated that administration of E. viride roots extract offered protection to the hepatocytes from damage induced by paracetamol, with mild fatty changes in the hepatic parenchymal cells, which corroborated the changes observed in the hepatic enzymes. It also showed regenerating liver cells around the necrotic area ( Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6). Paracetamol-induced acute liver damage as an experimental this website model of drug-induced acute hepatic necrosis is well-established.26, 27 and 28 The mechanism by which,

paracetamol-induced hepatocellular injury and death involves its conversion to a toxic highly reactive and cytotoxic intermediate metabolite, N-acetyl-para-benzoquinonimine (NAPQI). Normally, paracetamol is primarily metabolized via cytochrome P-450 to form the highly electrophilic NAPQI [26] which is eliminated by conjugation with glutathione (GSH) and further metabolized

to a mercapturic acid which is excreted in the urine. 29 In the present investigation it was observed that the administration of paracetamol increased the levels of serum marker Adriamycin enzymes significantly (P < 0.001) which is an evidence of existence of liver toxicity, ( Table 1). There was a significant (P < 0.001) restoration of these enzyme levels on administration of the E. viride roots extract in a dose dependent manner and also by silymarin at a dose of 25 mg/kg. The reversal of increased Ergoloid serum enzymes in acetaminophen induced liver damage by the extract may be due to the prevention of the leakage of intracellular enzymes by its membrane stabilizing activity. The possible mechanism by which ethanolic extract of E. viride roots exhibited significant protection against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to the active constituents present in various ingredients like flavonoids, alkaloids, sterols etc and its free radical scavenging activity. Present investigation also revealed that ethanolic extract of E. viride roots decreases the formation of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) such as superoxide anion, hydroxyl

radical, and hydrogen peroxide, and nitro oxide and peroxynitrite, respectively, ( Table 2). Decrease levels of ROS and RNS can leads to decrease lipid peroxidation, and increase level of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx). In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that the ethanolic extract of E. viride roots has hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats and it may be due to their anti-oxidant property. All authors have none to declare. The authors are grateful to Principal, Management of Vasavi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, India for providing necessary facilities to carry out this research project and we thank JPR Solutions for funding in publication of this research.