eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2016-03-14 5 2 657 662 7218 article Ajay D. Kshirsagar 1 Purnima Ashok 1 Department of Pharmacology K. L. E. Society’s College of Pharmacy, Bangalore - 560 010 (India). Hygrophila Spinosa (K. Schum) Heine (syn. Asteracantha longifolia Nees, Acanthaceae) was widely used in the Indian systems of medicine for the treatment of various liver ailments. The hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of the stem was studied on carbon tetrachloride induced liver toxicity in rats. The activity was assessed by monitoring the various liver function tests, viz. alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein and total bilirubin. Furthermore, hepatic tissues were subjected to histopathological studies. The stem extract was also studied for its in vitro antioxidant activity using ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. The extract exhibited significant hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol5no2/hepatoprotective-and-antioxidant-effects-of-hygrophila-spinosa-k-schumheine-acanthaceae-stem-extract/ Hepatoprotective; Antioxidant; Hygrophila spinnosa; Ferric thiocyanate; Superoxide radical