Hepatoprotective Effects of Piperine on Thioacetamide-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats: A Lipid Profile Analysis

Piperine is an alkaloid primarily found in the fruits of Piper nigrum L. (black pepper) and Piper longum L. (long pepper), which belong to the Piperaceae family. It is also present in smaller amounts in the roots of these plants. They possesses bio-enhancing properties, has a long history of traditional use in revitalizing the liver and treating various hepatic ailments. Therefore, the current investigation aimed to determine the hepatoprotective potential of Piperine following oral administration in albino rats with liver damage induced by thioacetamide. In this study, thirty rats were divided into five equal groups, each groups containing 6 rats and experimented for eighth weeks. Group I (control): received normal saline @ 0.9 % p.o daily. Group II (diseased): received a single dose of Thioacetamide (TAA@ 150 mg/kg), twice per week. Group III: received Piperine (PIP @ 50 mg/kg b.d wt p.o daily) orally. Group IV: received TAA (@ 150 mg/kg i.p. twice/week) + PIP (@ 50 mg/kg b.d wt p.o daily). Group V (standard group): TAA (@ 150 mg/kg i.p. twice/week) +standard drug (Silymarin @ 50 mg/kg p.o daily). At the end of the experiment (57th day) all rats were sacrificed. The thioacetamide-treated group (group II) exhibited severe changes in the lipid profile parameters (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and glucose level. Based on the observed results in piperine-treated groups (IV) compared to the thioacetamide group (II), the study suggests piperine’s potential for hepatoprotection against thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity.