Safety assessment and attenuation of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity by tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusa.

Cisplatin (Cis-diaminedichloroplatinum II) is a chemotherapeutic agent having well documented adverse effect as nephrotoxicity. This study was designed to evaluate the nephroprotective role of Boerhaavia diffusa in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. Wistar rats (n = 6) were allocated into six groups constituting normal control, cisplatin-induced, Boerhaavia diffusa root extract in doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg and Boerhaavia diffusa per se group, administered orally for a period of ten days. Intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin was administered on day 7, to all groups except normal control and Boerhaavia diffusa per se group. On day 10, cisplatin resulted in substantial nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats with significant (p < 0.001) elevation in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, decline in the concentrations of reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase, elevation in TNF-α level in renal tissues. Boerhaavia diffusa at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight significantly (p < 0.001) ameliorates increased in serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. In parallel to this, it also exhibits antiapoptotic activity through the reduction of active caspase-3 expression in kidneys. Findings indicate that Boerhaavia diffusa is effective in mitigating cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and thus, for this the acute and sub-acute toxicity studies conducted to evaluate the safety profile of Boerhaavia diffusa. The no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusa root extract was 1000 mg/kg.