Fenugreek seeds attenuate thioacetamide induced liver damage.

The intention to conduct this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of Fenugreek seeds' extract supplementation in thioacetamide induced liver damage in male Sprague Dawley rats. For this study, 24 male Sprague Dawley rats (200-264gm) were distributed randomly into four groups. Group I remained untreated as control rats, group II received thioacetamide (200mg/Kg b.w i.p, administered on alternative days for 8 weeks), group III received thioacetamide (200mg/Kg b.w i.p administered on alternative days for 8 weeks) as well as 2ml of 2% extract of fenugreek seeds (orally administered daily from 4th week till 8th week of the experiment. Group IV only received 2ml of 2% extract of Fenugreek seeds daily for 4 weeks respectively. At the end of the experiment, blood was sampled to obtain plasma that was used for the analysis of liver markers and liver was used for analysis of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and SOD). Increase in total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, ALT and ALP levels, catalase activity and decrease in SOD activity was found in TAA-treated groups which assured liver damage. Whereas, treatment with Fenugreek seeds extract restored the altered levels of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, ALT, ALP, catalase and SOD activities in the Test + Supp group. The results of this study confirmed the hepatoprotective role of Fenugreek seeds extract in thioacetamide induced liver damage.