503POTENTIAL HEPATOPROTCTIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF DELONIX REGIA FLOWER EXTRACT AGAINST PARACETAMOL INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN RATSParacetamol is widely used as analgesic and antipyretic drug, but overdose of this drug causes severe hepatotoxicity, which leads to failure of liver function. The present study demonstrates the hepatoprotective activity of methanolic extract of Delonix regia flowers against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in Sprague-Dawley albino rats as judged from the serum marker enzymes and antioxidant levels in liver tissues. Paracetamol (750 mg/kg body weight) was orally administered to the experimental rat induce liver toxicity and effect of plant extract was determined by co-administration of the D. regia flower extract (250 mg/kg body weight and 400 mg/kg body weight) with paracetamol. Paracetamol induced a significant rise in liver function marker enzyme like aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), along with increase in total bilirubin, lipid peroxides (LPO), protein carbonyl content and reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and reduced glutathione (GSH) level. Co-administration of methanolic extract of D. regia flowers in both doses 250 mg/kg body weight and 400 mg/kg body weight reversed the liver damage due to consumption of paracetamol. D. regia flower extract in both doses 250 mg/kg body weight and 400 mg/kg body weight showed a remarkable hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity by altering the level of liver function marker and antioxidant enzymes. Histopathological evaluation of liver also revealed that D. regia flower extract reduced the incidence of paracetamol induced liver lesions. The results obtained were compared with standard hepatoprotective drug silymarin (50 mg/kg body weight) and found significant hepatoprotective activity similar to silymarin. D. regia flower extract therefore shows a promise in therapeutic use in paracetamol induced liver dysfunctionaninditaau@gmail.comResearch582014hepatotoxicity,paracetamol,antioxidant activity,Delonix regiaAnindita Biswas,Ganga Rao BattuDepartment of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, A.U. College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530 003, A.P, India.,Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, A.U. College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530 003, A.P, India.