Hepatoprotective activity of polyherbal tablet containing Andrographis paniculata and Tephrosia purpurea extracts against paracetamol-induced toxicity in rats

Hepatic diseases are a serious concern across the globe. The death of liver cells is a significant cause of liver diseases. Phytochemicals from Andrographis paniculata and Tephrosia purpurea are reported to have hepatoprotective potential. The oral delivery of extracts containing phytochemicals using a tablet can produce a synergistic effect and enhance safety and patient compliance. This study aimed to extract phytochemicals from those plants and investigate their phytochemical potential, the pre- and post-compression attributes of the extracts' powder, their compression into tablets, and the in vivo performance of the tablets in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Phytochemical screening of two extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenols, carbohydrates, terpenoids, tannins, proteins, cholesterol, diterpenes, and glycosides. Evaluation of pre-compression properties revealed good flowability and suitability for compression into tablets. The post-compression quality control parameters were found to match the standard. The polyherbal tablet exhibited dose-dependent hepatoprotective activity in rats. The histological study revealed that the administration of 650 mg/kg body weight of paracetamol resulted in damage to the liver, as evidenced by increased levels of various enzymes, such as serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and total proteins (TP). Liver enzyme levels were significantly (p < 0.005) decreased after treatment with the polyherbal tablet formulations. Furthermore, histological analysis showed that the liver anatomy of the rats given polyherbal tablets was restored to near-normal architecture. The polyherbal tablet comprising A. paniculata and T. purpurea extracts can be a promising approach in treating hepatotoxicity.