Abstract

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a well-established hepatotoxin widely employed to model oxidative liver injury in experimental research. The increasing global burden of liver diseases has intensified the search for plant derived compounds with hepatoprotective efficacy. Phyllanthus niruri (P.niruri), a medicinal plant traditionally used across various cultures, has been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties. This study evaluated the protective effects of the ethanol extract of P. niruri on CCl₄-induced hepatic damage and lipid profile alterations in male Wistar rats.Thirty-five rats (175–185 g) were randomly assigned to seven groups (n = 5) following one week of acclimatization. Hepatic injury was induced in all groups except the normal control via a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ (1.25 mL/kg in a 1:1 olive oil solution). Thereafter, rats received oral administration of graded doses (200, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) of P. niruri extract for 28 days. Biochemical assessments showed that CCl₄ significantly elevated serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) concentrations, while markedly reducing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Treatment with P. niruri extract elicited a dose-dependent normalization of these lipid parameters, characterized by significant (p < 0.05) reductions in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL, along with increased HDL concentrations relative to the untreated CCl₄-intoxicated group.Overall, the findings demonstrate that P. niruriconfers substantial hepatoprotective and lipid-modulatory effects against CCl₄-induced hepatic dysfunction, underscoring its therapeutic potential as a natural intervention for the management of oxidative liver injury.