EVALUATION OF HEPATIC ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME ACTIVITY IN HEALTHY RATS ADMINISTERED WITH THE METHANOL EXTRACT OF ELEUSINE INDICA

Eleusine indica is a widely distributed medicinal plant has been traditionally used for the treatment of various ailments, including fever, infections, liver disorders, and oxidative stress–related conditions. Despite its common use in ethnomedicine, there is a need for scientific validation of its bioactive components and pharmacological relevance. This study investigated the effect of methanol extract of Eleusine indica on hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities of healthy rats. The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), were evaluated on the liver tissues. The results showed that the 200 mg/kg body group exhibited the highest SOD activity, which was significantly elevated compared to the 400 mg/kg body group. The 100 mg/kg body group recorded a slightly higher CAT activity, significantly different from the 600 mg/kg body group. The 300 mg/kg body group exhibited a significant increase in GPx activity compared with the control and other doses, the 200 mg/kg body group also showed moderate but significant elevation in GPx activity, while the higher doses (400 and 600 mg/kg body) had no significant difference from control. These findings suggest that Eleusine indica is safe for the liver at the tested doses and may possess antioxidant-supportive properties.