Protective effect of Solanum nigrum fruit extract on the functional status of liver and kidney against ethanol induced toxicity

The trend in using natural products has increased and the active plant extracts are frequently screened for new drug discoveries. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of Solanum nigrum fruit extract (SNFEt) on ethanol induced toxicity in rats. Male albino wistar rats were intoxicated with ethanol and the effect of SNFEt on the levels of hepatic marker enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and bilirubin), renal markers (urea, uric acid and creatinine) and antioxidant status such as Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH) were assessed in liver and kidney.  Ethanol intoxicated rats showed significant rise in hepatic marker enzymes, renal markers where the antioxidant status were found to be decreased. Supplementation of SNFEt altered these changes to near normal which was also compared with the standard drug silymarin. This beneficial activity of the extract might be considered as an adjuvant drug in the treatment of liver disorders. Thus we propose that dietary intake of Solanum nigrum fruits offers protection against toxicity.