STUDIES ON IN-VIVO ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF CITRUS SINENSIS (L.) OSBECK PEEL EXTRACT IN WISTAR RATS

📄 Project Abstract

Citrus sinensis is the commonest, most widely cultivated and consumed citrus fruit. Large amounts of peel wastes are formed when citrus is consumed or processed; and suitable methods have to be adopted to utilize these waste materials for conversion into value-added products. Flavonoids, the major component of citrus peel have been reported to exert antioxidant and hepatoproective activity. This study was designed to investigate the in-vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of the methanol extract of citrus fruit peel in Wistar rats. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening was carried out on extracts of three different citrus species fruit peels for comparison and selection, after which C. sinensis fruit peel extract was selected for further studies because it had the highest flavonoid content. Oxidative stress and liver damage was induced in rats using 2 ml/kg subcutaneous injection of CCl4 every 72 h for 10 days. Biochemical parameters were assessed as indices ...