Alstonia scholaris

The methanolic extract of Alstonia scholaris (L) R.Br. stem bark was screened for hepatoprotective activity against Swiss albino rats with liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride. The results of hepatoprotective activity revealed that the methanolic extract of Alstonia scholaris significantly decreased the biochemical parameters (SGOT, SGPT, ALP, TP and TB). Silymarin (25 mg/kg), a known hepatoprotective drug, was used for comparison. The extract did not show any mortality up to a dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight. The findings indicated that the methanolic stem bark extract of Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br. (200 mg/kg) was effective in bringing the functional improvement of hepatocytes. The hepatoprotective activity was also supported by histopathological studies of liver tissues. Key words:  Alstonia scholaris, extract, hepatoprotective, carbon tetrachloride.