Evaluation of the hepatoprotective effect of Fumaria parviflora and Momordica halsamina from Saudi folk medicine against experimentally induced liver injury in rats

In a project to evaluate the efficacy of traditional Saudi plants used for liver problems the two plants Funaria parviflora Lam. (Fumariaceae) and Momordica balsamina Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) were studied. The ethanol extract of the aerial part of Fumaria parviflora and the leaves of Momordica balsamina were subjected to hepatoprotective assays using Wistar albino rats. Liver injury induced in rats using carbon tetrachloride. The biochemical parameters, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin were estimated as reflection of the liver condition. Based on the results of the biochemical parameters measurements, Nstopathological study was performed on the liver of rats treated with two extracts. The normal appearance of hepatocytes indicated a good protection of the extracts from carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity. All the results were compared with silymarin, the reference hepatoprotective drug.