Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity and standardisation of hydro-methanol extract of underground tuber of Dioscorea alata

The genus Dioscorea L. (Dioscoreaceae), a review of traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Dioscorea, a member of the Dioscoreaceae family, comprises approximately 600 species and is widely distributed across temperate and tropical regions such as Asia, South Africa, and North America. The traditional medicinal uses of Dioscorea have been documented in Asian and African pharmacological systems. In Asia, this genus is traditionally used to treat respiratory illnesses, rheumatism, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, and other conditions. In Africa, this genus has been used to treat human immunodeficiency virus and ring worms. However, the traditional medicinal practices in North America rarely mention the use of this genus.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this review is to comprehensively review the genus Dioscorea, focusing on its traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and potential toxicities. The research also aims to highlight the valuable bioactive compounds within Dioscorea and emphasize the need for further investigations into acute and chronic toxicity, activity mechanisms, molecular markers, and other relevant factors to contribute to the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A search for available information on Dioscorea was conducted using scientific databases, including PubMed, ISI-WOS, Scopus, and Google Scholar, as well as recent academic publications from reputable publishers and other literature sources. The search was not limited by language and spanned the literature published between 1950 and 2022.

RESULTS

This article provides a comprehensive review of the Dioscorea genus, focusing on its traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and potential toxicities. Extensive research has been conducted on this genus, resulting in the isolation and examination of over 1000 compounds, including steroids, terpenoids, and flavonoids, to determine their biological activities. These activities include anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. However, some studies have indicated the potential toxicity of high doses of Dioscorea, highlighting the need for further investigations to assess the safety of this genus. Additionally, this review explores potential avenues for future research and discusses the challenges associated with a comprehensive understanding of the Dioscorea genus.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the existing literature, it can be concluded that Dioscorea is a valuable source of bioactive compounds that have the potential to treat various disorders. Future research should prioritize the investigation of acute and chronic toxicity, activity mechanisms, molecular markers, and other relevant factors. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the Dioscorea genus, emphasizing its potential to enable a deeper exploration of the biological activity mechanisms of these plants and contribute to the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals.

Attenuation of carbon tetrachloride-induced nephrotoxicity by gum Arabic extract via modulating cellular redox state, NF-κB pathway, and KIM-1

The current study investigated the ameliorating impact of GA water extract (GAE) on CCl4-induced nephrotoxicity in renal cells and tissue by comparing its effectiveness with the Ketosteril (Ks) drug in restoring oxidative stress and necroinflammation. The cell morphology, necrosis, and redox state were evaluated in Vero cells. The influence of GAE on CCl4-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and necrosis was examined in rats. The predicted inhibitory mechanism of GAE phenolic constituents against COX-2 and iNOS was also studied. The results revealed that GAE contains crucial types of phenolic acids, which are associated with its antiradical activities. GAE improved CCl4-induced Vero cell damage and restored renal architecture damage, total antioxidant capacity, ROS, TBARS, NO, GSH, GPX, SOD, and MPO in rats. GAE downregulated the gene expression of renal NF-κB, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2, as well as kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) in rats. The GAE improved blood urea, creatinine, cholesterol, and reducing power. The computational analysis revealed the competitive inhibitory mechanism of selected phenolic composites of GAE on COX-2 and iNOS activities. The GAE exhibited higher potency than Ks in most of the studied parameters, as observed by the heatmap plots. Thus, GAE is a promising extract for the treatment of kidney toxicity.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory potential and GC-MS profiling of leaf extracts from Clerodendrum infortunatum L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Clerodendrum infortunatum L. is commonly distributed in tropical and subtropical countries and is widely used in the indigenous systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy. The plant has important uses in the treatment of various inflammatory disorders which includes asthma, cough, chest complaints, pain, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, gastric ulcer, cancer, diabetes, skin diseases etc. AIM OF THE STUDY: Regarding the extensive healing properties of C. infortunatum in folk medicine, we aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory activity of the plant and analyze its bioactive components.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sequential extracts were prepared from C. infortunatum leaves using n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol and water. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts were evaluated using membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation assays. Toxicity of the extracts was tested using brine shrimp lethality assay. GC-MS analysis has been carried out to analyze and characterize various bioactive constituents present in the plant.

RESULTS

Each of the tested extracts showed significant (p < 0.05) in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Sequential ethyl acetate extract demonstrated the strongest membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation activities with IC50 values of 331.3, 308.3 and 279.2 μg/mL for heat and hypotonicity induced membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation assays, respectively. Sequential methanol extract also exhibited strong activity in heat and hypotonicity induced membrane stabilization and protein anti-denaturation assays with IC50 values of 371.5, 331.6 and 284.6 μg/mL, respectively. The extracts demonstrated a range of toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality assay with LC50 values of 51.4, 59.7, 47.3, 37.1, 68.1 and 77.3 μg/mL for n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol and water extracts respectively. The GC-MS analysis of direct n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts detected 32 different compounds. The major compounds (> 5%) were phenol, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, estragole, methyl stearate, lanosterol, 9-methoxybicyclo[6.1.0]nona-2,4,6-triene, benzenepropanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) 4 hydroxy methyl ester, 22,23-dibromostigmasterol acetate, 3-methyl-4-(phenylthio)-2-prop-2-enyl-2,5-dihydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide, benzenemethanol, α-methyl-α-propyl- and 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)- methyl ester.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of our study revealed that C. infortunatum is rich with diverse bioactive phytoconstituents and the scientific evidences support the anti-inflammatory potential of the plant.

GC-MS Analysis of Bioactive Compounds Extracted from Plant Rhazya stricta Using Various Solvents

Worldwide, human beings have traditionally employed many folkloric herbal resources as complementary and alternative remedies, and these remedies have played a pivotal role in modern medicines for many decades, as scientists have used them to develop drugs. We studied the effects of employing solvents with varying polarity on the yields of phytochemical components extracted from the plant Rhazya stricta. We used chloroform-methanol (1:1), methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate as extraction solvents. The results showed that the efficiencies of the solvents at extracting phytochemical compounds were in this order: chloroform-methanol < ethanol < methanol < diethyl ether < ethyl acetate extract. The chloroform-methanol extract produced the highest concentration of phenolic and flavonoid contents among the five solvents tested (13.3 mg GAE/g DM and 5.43 CE/g DM). The yields of the extracted phytochemical compounds ranged from 47.55 to 6.05%. The results revealed that the properties of the extraction solvents considerably impacted the extraction yield and the phytochemical components of the R. stricta extract. Furthermore, compared with the other solvents, the chloroform-methanol extraction led to the highest yield (47.55%) and to more phytochemical substances being extracted. The aim of this study is to investigate the phytochemical compounds extracted from R. stricta with different solvents that have different polarities.

Dioscorea spp.: Comprehensive Review of Antioxidant Properties and Their Relation to Phytochemicals and Health Benefits

Dioscorea, consisting of over 600 species, is the most important genus in the Dioscoreaceae family; however, the practically used plants, which are commonly called yam, are restricted to a remarkably smaller number of species. Numerous studies have reported the high nutritional value of yam, particularly as an alternative source of starch and some important micronutrients. Several Dioscorea species are widely used for various medicinal purposes as well. In many studies, the bioactivities and health benefits of Dioscorea extracts and other preparations have been related to the presence of phytochemicals, which possess antioxidant properties; they are related mainly to radical-scavenging capacity in chemical assays and positive effects on the endogenous antioxidant system in cell-based and in vivo assays. Considering the increasing number of publications on this topic and the absence of comprehensive and focused review papers on antioxidant potential, this article summarizes the results of studies on the antioxidant properties of Dioscorea spp. and their relation to phytochemicals and health benefits. A comprehensive survey of the published articles has revealed that the majority of studies have been performed with plant tubers (rhizomes, roots), while reports on leaves are rather scarce. In general, leaf extracts demonstrated stronger antioxidant potential than tuber preparations. This may be related to the differences in phytochemical composition: saponins, phenanthrenes and, for some pigment-rich species (purple yams), anthocyanins are important constituents in tubers, while phenolic acids and flavonoids are characteristic phytochemicals in the leaves. The review may assist in explaining ethnopharmacological knowledge on the health benefits of Dioscorea plants and their preparations; moreover, it may foster further studies of poorly investigated species, as well as their wider application in developing new functional foods and nutraceuticals.

The role of syringic acid as a neuroprotective agent for neurodegenerative disorders and future expectations

Hundreds of millions of people are influenced by neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), traumatic disorders of the nervous system, dementia, and various neurological disorders. Syringic acid (SA) is a natural phenolic compound that is found in medicinal herbs and dietary plants. The therapeutic potential of SA is due to its anti-oxidative, chemoprotective, anti-angiogenic, anti-glycating, anti-proliferative, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-endotoxic, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-depressant properties. However, in recent studies, its neuroprotective effect has drawn attention. The current review focuses on the neuroprotective bioactivities of SA and putative mechanisms of action. An electronic data search was performed using different search engines, and the relevant articles (with or without meta-analysis) with any language were selected. In the central and peripheral nervous system, SA has been shown a significant role in excitatory neurotransmitters and alleviate behavioral dysfunctions. The consensus of the literature search was that SA treatment may help neurological dysfunction or behavioral impairments management with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, administration and proper dose of SA could be crucial factors for the effective treatment of neurological diseases.

Acacia senegal gum attenuates systemic toxicity in CCl4-intoxicated rats via regulation of the ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway

Acacia senegal (AS) gum (Gum Arabic) is a natural emulsifier exudate from the branches and trunk of Acacia trees and it is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency as a secure dietary fiber. The present research evaluated the systemic oxidative and necroinflammatory stress induced by CCl4 administration and the alleviating effect of AS gum aqueous extract (ASE, 7.5 g/Kg b.w.). The results demonstrated the presence of certain phenolic compounds in ASE, as well as its in vitro potent scavenging ability against ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), NO, and lipid peroxide radicals. Also, the outcomes revealed an improvement in the CCl4-induced liver, lung, brain, and spleen toxicity by reducing the levels of ROS, lipid peroxidation, NO, and the gene expression of NF-κB and its relevant ROS-mediated inflammatory genes. In contrast, the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as well as the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, were significantly upregulated in these organs after the treatment with ASE. These results were confirmed by improving the morphological features of each organ. Therefore, ASE can ameliorate the systemic toxicity caused by CCl4 via regulation of the ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway in the rat organs, which is owed to its phytochemical composition.

Metabolite Profiling of Dioscorea (Yam) Leaves to Identify Bioactive Compounds Reveals Their Potential as Renewable Resources

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are cultivated and consumed as edible tubers, while their leaves are discarded as waste or burned with negative environmental impact. Herein, the metabolites of two yam species (Danma, DAN; Dunggeunma, DUN), harvested in June, July, and August, were profiled using GC-TOF-MS and UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS and the antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated to stimulate the utilization of yam leaves as a by-product. We observed that the relative levels of amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and saponins decreased linearly with prolonged harvest time, while fatty acid, phenanthrene, and flavonoid levels gradually increased. Furthermore, the leaf extracts obtained in August exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. To determine the antioxidant-contributing metabolites, OPLS-DA was performed for the leaf metabolites of DAN and DUN leaves harvested in August. Hydroxytyrosol-glucoside, apigenin-rhamnoside, and rutin were more abundant in DUN, while luteolin, phenanthrene derivatives, epicatechin, and kaempferide were relatively higher in DAN and their respective metabolites were positively correlated with the antioxidant activity. Moreover, secondary metabolites were more abundant in the leaves than in the roots, and consequently, the antioxidant activity of the former was also higher. Overall, the potential value of yam leaves as a renewable source of bioactive compounds is proposed.

Chemical Characterization and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Phytoconstituents from Swertia alata

Swertia alata C.B Clarke (Gentianaceae) is a well-reported plant in the traditional system of medicine. The present study was intended to isolate the phytoconstituents from the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of S. alata; and evaluate for in vitro COX-1/COX-2 inhibition activity, in vivo anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity. Phytoisolation involved partitioning of S. alata ethanolic extract into petroleum ether and chloroform soluble fractions using silica gel-based column chromatography. The isolation afforded two phytoisolates, namely oleanolic acid (SA-1) and 3-hydroxylup-12-(13)-ene-17-carboxylic acid (SA-4). Phytoisolates structures were established by melting point, ultraviolet (UV), attenuated total reflection-Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HMBC) and mass spectrometry. Phytoisolates were further evaluated for in vitro cyclooxygenase (COX-1/COX-2) inhibitory activity, in vivo anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity. The study revealed SA-4 (COX-1/COX-2 inhibition activity of 104/61.68 µM with % inhibition of 61.36) to be more effective than SA-1 (COX-1/COX-2 inhibition activity of 128.4/87.25 µM, with % inhibition of 47.72). SA-1 and SA-4, when subjected to ulcerogenic study, exhibited significant gastric tolerance. The current study reports chromatographic isolation and spectrometric characterization of SA-1 and SA-4. The present study concludes that compound SA-4 possess significant anti-inflammatory activity and less irritant property over gastric mucosa with no significant ulcerogenicity in comparison to indomethacin.

Anti-inflammatory, wound healing and antioxidant potential of compounds from Dioscorea bulbifera L. bulbils

BACKGROUND

Dioscorea bulbifera L. (Dioscoreaceae) has been traditionally used in Thai folk medicine as a diuretic and anthelmintic, for longevity preparations, and for wound and inflammation treatment. This plant is also commonly used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicines in the treatment of sore throat, gastric cancer, rectal carcinoma and goiters. However, the wound healing effects of the active compounds in this plant have not been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify compounds responsible for the wound healing activity of D. bulbifera and determine their potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

METHODS

Crude extracts of D. bulbifera bulbils, their derived fractions and eleven purified compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 macrophages. The wound healing effects were evaluated via cell proliferation and migration assays using human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), and the antioxidant effects were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) scavenging activity assays.

RESULTS

15,16-Epoxy-6α-O-acetyl-8β-hydroxy-19-nor-clero-13(16),14-diene-17,12;18,2-diolide (2), (+)-catechin (5), quercetin (6) and myricetin (11) exhibited significantly potent wound healing effects and promoted marked cell proliferation, resulting in % viabilities of 107.4-137.6, 121.1-151.9, 98.0-131.9, 90.9-115.9, respectively. Among them, (+)-catechin produced the highest % cell migration, resulting in 100.0% wound closure sooner (at day 2) than the other compounds. In addition, 1 μg/ml (+)-catechin significantly increased fibroblast migration by 2.4-fold compared to that in the control after 24 h. Regarding anti-inflammatory properties, kaempferol (7) and quercetin (6) decreased (p < 0.005) NO production, with IC50 values of 46.6 and 56.2 μM, respectively. In addition, the crude extracts, solvent fractions and flavonoid compounds were also found to possess marked antioxidant activity in both DPPH and •OH radical scavenging assays.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide more evidence to support the traditional use of D. bulbifera for the treatment of wounds and inflammation.

The Dioscorea Genus (Yam)-An Appraisal of Nutritional and Therapeutic Potentials

The quest for a food secure and safe world has led to continuous effort toward improvements of global food and health systems. While the developed countries seem to have these systems stabilized, some parts of the world still face enormous challenges. Yam (Dioscorea species) is an orphan crop, widely distributed globally; and has contributed enormously to food security especially in sub-Saharan Africa because of its role in providing nutritional benefits and income. Additionally, yam has non-nutritional components called bioactive compounds, which offer numerous health benefits ranging from prevention to treatment of degenerative diseases. Pharmaceutical application of diosgenin and dioscorin, among other compounds isolated from yam, has shown more prospects recently. Despite the benefits embedded in yam, reports on the nutritional and therapeutic potentials of yam have been fragmented and the diversity within the genus has led to much confusion. An overview of the nutritional and health importance of yam will harness the crop to meet its potential towards combating hunger and malnutrition, while improving global health. This review makes a conscious attempt to provide an overview regarding the nutritional, bioactive compositions and therapeutic potentials of yam diversity. Insights on how to increase its utilization for a greater impact are elucidated.

Gut microbiota in phytopharmacology: A comprehensive overview of concepts, reciprocal interactions, biotransformations and mode of actions

The dynamic and delicate interactions amongst intestinal microbiota, metabolome and metabolism dictates human health and disease. In recent years, our understanding of gut microbial regulation of intestinal immunometabolic and redox homeostasis have evolved mainly out of in vivo studies associated with high-fat feeding induced metabolic diseases. Techniques utilizing fecal transplantation and germ-free mice have been instrumental in reproducibly demonstrating how the gut microbiota affects disease pathogenesis. However, the pillars of modern drug discovery i.e. evidence-based pharmacological studies critically lack focus on intestinal microflora. This is primarily due to targeted in vitro molecular-approaches at cellular-level that largely overlook the etiology of disease pathogenesis from the physiological perspective. Thus, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the key notions of intestinal microbiota and dysbiosis, and highlight the microbiota-phytochemical bidirectional interactions that affects bioavailability and bioactivity of parent phytochemicals and their metabolites. Potentially by focusing on the three major aspects of gut microbiota i.e. microbial abundance, diversity, and functions, I will discuss phytochemical-microbiota reciprocal interactions, biotransformation of phytochemicals and plant-derived drugs, and pre-clinical and clinical efficacies of herbal medicine on dysbiosis. Additionally, in relation to phytochemical pharmacology, I will briefly discuss the role of dietary-patterns associated with changes in microbial profiles and review pharmacological study models considering possible microbial effects. This review therefore, emphasize on the timely and critically needed evidence-based phytochemical studies focusing on gut microbiota and will provide newer insights for future pre-clinical and clinical phytopharmacological interventions.

Protective Effects of Dioscorea batatas Flesh and Peel Extracts against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Mice

Gastric ulcer is a major digestive disorder and provoked by multifactorial etiologies, including excessive alcohol consumption. In this study, we examined the gastroprotective effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Dioscorea batatas Decne (DBD; commonly called Chinese yam) flesh or peel against acidified ethanol-induced acute gastric damage in mice. Our findings demonstrated that oral supplementation of aqueous or ethanolic extracts of DBD flesh or peel before ulcer induction was significantly effective in macroscopically and histologically alleviating ethanol-induced pathological lesions in gastric mucosa, decreasing the plasma levels of inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide and interleukin-6, attenuating the gastric expression of cyclooxygenase-2, and increasing the gastric content of prostaglandin E₂. In particular, pretreatment with the flesh extract prepared in 60% ethanol prominently decreased the expression of biomarkers of oxidative stress, including the plasma levels of 8-hydroxy-2-guanosine and malondialdehyde, and restored heme oxygenase-1 expression and superoxide dismutase activity in the stomach. Overall, these findings suggest that the oral supplementation with DBD extract, especially flesh ethanol extract, prior to excessive alcohol consumption, may exert a protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage in vivo, presumably through the activation of the antioxidant system and suppression of the inflammatory response.

Syringic acid (SA) ‒ A Review of Its Occurrence, Biosynthesis, Pharmacological and Industrial Importance

The use of phytochemicals in control of human diseases have been considerable public and scientific interest in current days. Syringic acid (SA), a phenolic compound often found in fruits and vegetables and which is synthesized via shikimic acid pathway in plants. It shows a wide range of therapeutic applications in prevention of diabetes, CVDs, cancer, cerebral ischemia; as well as it possess anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiendotoxic, neuro and hepatoprotective activities. It has an effective free radical scavenger and alleviates the oxidative stress markers. The therapeutic property of SA is attributed by the presence of methoxy groups onto the aromatic ring at positions 3 and 5. The strong antioxidant activity of SA may confer its beneficial effects for human health. SA has the potential to modulate enzyme activity, protein dynamics and diverse transcription factors involved in diabetes, inflammation, cancer and angiogenesis. In vivo experimental data and histopathological studies on SA activity has delineated its possible therapeutic mechanisms. Besides usage in biomedical field, SA has greater industrial applications in bioremediation, photocatalytic ozonation, and laccase based catalysis. The present review deals about SA natural sources, biosynthesis, bioavailability, biomedical applications (in vivo and in vito. The review addresses basic information about molecular mechanisms, therapeutic and industrial potential of SA.

Phytochemicals-induced hormesis protects Caenorhabditis elegans against α-synuclein protein aggregation and stress through modulating HSF-1 and SKN-1/Nrf2 signaling pathways

Mild stress activates the adaptive cellular response for the subsequent severe stress called hormesis. Hormetic stress plays a vital role to activate multiple stress-responsive genes for the benefit of an organism. In tropical regions of world, tubers of Dioscorea spp. has been extensively used in folk medicine and also consumed as food. In this study, we report that the phytochemicals of Dioscorea alata L., tubers extends the lifespan of nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans by hormetic mechanism. We showed that the low dose of tubers extract at 200 and 300 μg/mL extends the mean lifespan of wild-type worms, whereas higher doses are found to be toxic. Supplementation of tubers extract slightly increased the intracellular ROS in second-day adult worms and it might activate the adaptive stress response, which protects the worms from oxidative and thermal stress. Transgenic reporter gene expression assay showed that extract treatment enhanced the expression of stress protective genes such as hsp-16.2, hsp-6, hsp-60 and gst-4. Further studies proved that the transcription factors HSF-1 and SKN-1/Nrf2 were implicated in hormetic stress response of the worms. Moreover, pretreatment of extract reduced the high glucose-mediated lipid accumulation by enhancing the expression of glyoxalase-1. It was also found that the aggregation of Parkinson's related protein α-synuclein reduced in the transgenic strain NL5901 and extended its lifespan. Finally, our results concluded that the presences of hormetic dietary phytochemicals in tubers might drive the stress response in C. elegans via HSF-1 and SKN-1/Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Hepatoprotective activity of Rhus oxyacantha root cortex extract against DDT-induced liver injury in rats

The present investigation aimed to study the antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effects of ethyl acetate extract of R. oxyacantha root cortex (RE) against DDT-induced liver injury in male rats. The RE exhibited high total phenolic, flavonoid and condensed tannins contents. The antioxidant activity in vitro systems showed a significant potent free radical scavenging activity of the extract. The HPLC finger print of R. oxyacantha active extract showed the presence of five phenolic compounds with higher amounts of catechol and gallic acid. The in vivo results showed that a single intraperitoneal administration of DDT enhanced levels of hepatic markers (ALT, AST and LDH) in serum of experimental animals. It also increased the oxidative stress markers resulting in increased levels of the lipid peroxidation with a significant induction of SOD and GPx, metallothioneins (MTs) and a concomitant decrease of non protein thiols (NPSH) in liver. However, pretreatment of rats with RE at a dose of 150 and 300mg/kg body weight significantly lowered serum transaminases and LDH in treated rats. A significant reduction in hepatic thiobarbituric reactive substances and a decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities and hepatic MTs levels by treatment with plant extract against DDT, were observed. These biochemical changes were consistent with histopathological observations, suggesting marked hepatoprotective effect of RE with the two doses used. These results strongly suggest that treatment with ethyl acetate extract normalizes various biochemical parameters and protects the liver against DDT-induced oxidative damage in rats and thus help in evaluation of traditional claim on this plant.