Identification of Napthoquinone from Rhinacanthus nasutus against Alcohol Liver Disease

Abstract

In the current study, leaf and leaf derived callus extracts of R. nasutus were evaluated in vitro for their hepatoprotective potential against alcohol induced liver necrosis using HepG2 cells. Callus from leaf explants was induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with various plant growth hormones. Dry leaf callus and coarse leaf powder were sequentially extracted in various organic solvents using Soxhlet apparatus. Crude callus and leaf extracts were subjected to toxic dose study prior to their determination of hepatoprotective property. MTT assay was used to determine the in vitro hepatoprotective potential of extracts, which was measured by the percentage of cell viability using 96 well plate method. Prior to alcohol intoxication, HepG2 cells were pretreated for 72 hrs with different individual extracts. Result confirmed that cells pretreated with ethanolic leaf extract (200 ug / ml) exhibited 90% viability and the cells pretreated with ethanolic callus extract showed 84% viability after intoxication with alcohol. The standard drug used in the study was silymarin, which showed the 81% cell viability after alcohol intoxication. The phytochemical analysis of leaf ethanolic extract was carried out by HPLC, LCMS, IR and NMR. The spectral data analysed confirmed the presence of predominant naphthoquinone; rhinacanthin - C.