Effect of Methanolic Leaf Extract of Evolvulus Nummularius Linn on High Fat Diet Induced Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rat Model

Abstract

Evolvulus nummularius Linn. (family Convolvulaceae), commonly referred to as newlineround-leaf bindweed, has garnered attention in ethnopharmacology due to its diverse newlinerepertoire of secondary metabolites, including triterpenoids, saponins, ursolic acid, and newlineoleanolic acid. The present study was conceived to systematically elucidate its newlinephytoconstituents, bioactivity, and hepatoprotective potential with a particular emphasis on newlineNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). Methanolic leaf extract of Evolvulus newlinenummularius Linn(MEEN) was prepared by Soxhlet extraction and subjected to Gas newlineChromatography Mass Spectrometry analysis, which unveiled a constellation of bioactive newlinemolecules with putative therapeutic relevance. To predict molecular mechanisms, insilico newlinedocking studies were performed against pivotal NAFLD targets such as sterol regulatory newlineelement-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorgamma newline(PPARand#947;), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-and#945;). Docking simulations revealed newlinefavorable ligand receptor affinities, reinforcing the prospect of MEEN as a modulator of newlinelipid metabolism and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways. newlineParallel invitro evaluation on free-fatty-acid induced HepG2 cells confirmed newlineMEEN s safety and efficacy. The extract demonstrated no cytotoxicity up to 1000 and#956;g/mL, newlinewhile effectively mitigating lipid accumulation, as evidenced by MTT viability assays, Oil newlineRed O, and Nile Red staining. Toxicological studies in Wistar albino rats, designed in newlineaccordance with OECD guidelines 425 and 407, established the absence of behavioural, newlinebiochemical, or histopathological aberrations up to 2000 mg/kg. In a high-fat-diet model of newlineNAFLD, MEEN treatment at 250 and 500 mg/kg conferred robust hepatoprotection, newlinecharacterized by normalization of dyslipidemia (decreased TG, TC, LDL, VLDL and newlineelevated HDL), attenuation of oxidative stress (reduced MDA, restored GPx1), and down newlineregulation of inflammatory and lipogenic mediators (SREBP-1c, PPARand#947;, TNF-and#945;). newlineHistological analyses corroborated these findings