ASSESSMENT OF THE HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITIES OF ZEA MAYS HUSK EXTRACT AND ITS FRACTIONS ON CCL4-INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE WISTAR RATS

Introduction: Zea mays is an annual grass plant that was conventionally used to treat various diseases, was assessed for hepatoprotective ability against CCl4-induced liver injuries in Wistar rats. Hepatoprotective activities of the fractions of maize husk were assessed by determining serum levels of liver function tests, lipid profile pattern and histology of the liver with phytochemical screening of a fraction. 
Methodology: Forty (40) Wistar rats of eight (8) groups with five (5) rats each and CCL4 induced liver damage was established in group 2 to 8. The group 1, 2, and 3 serves as normal, negative, silymarin control while group 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 represents 200mg/kg each of aqueous, hexane, ethylacetate, butanol and methanol fractions of maize husk. 
Results: The husk extract fractions caused significant (p < 0.05) decreased in the serum levels AST, ALT and ALP and significant increase in the level of TP and ALB in treated groups against the CCl4 treated group. The fractions significant (p < 0.05) increased TC, TG, HDL and LDL in wistar rats and histology of liver revealed significant reductions in pathological features in the treated rats. The qualitative screening and GC-MS analysis of n-hexane fraction shown the occurrence of phenols and flavonoids, 1-decanol, carbonic acid and 5-eicosene of pharmacological important. 
Conlusion: The results of this study indicated that the fractions of maize husk extract has hepatoprotective capacity as a result of some phytochemical components possess.