Hepatoprotective activity of terpenoids and terpenoid fractions of Scoparia dulcis L

Scoparia dulcis L. is widely used in the traditional system of medicine for treating liver ailments. In the present study the terpenoids and terpenoid fractions isolated from 1:1:1 petroleum ether, diethyl ether and methanol (PDM) extract of Scoparia dulcis L. were tested for their in vitro 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Selected samples from the assay were further tested for their in vitro hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4$ induced hepatotoxicity in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. In the in vitro antioxidant study, fractions 7, 11, 13, 14, and 15 and PDM extract show the DPPH radical scavenging activity. The phytochemical screening of all these fractions show the presence of terpenoids. In the in vitro hepatoprotective study all these fractions and the PDM extract significantly prevent the $CCl_4$ induced changes in the aspartate aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase and alkaline phosphatase levels (p < 0.05). The above results are comparable with the standard, silymarin. The results of the study indicate that, the PDM extract of Scoparia dulcis L. possesses potential hepatoprotective activity and this may be attributed to its free radical scavenging potential, which in turn may be attributed to the presence of terpenoids.