ABSTRACT:
In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant activity and ethanol-induced immunosupression study of alcoholic extract of Fumaria officinalis Linn. (FO). In this study the ethanol-treated (2 g/kg, 20% w/v, p.o., daily for four weeks) rats concurrently received either FO or a combination of vitamin E and C (each 100 mg/kg, p.o.) daily for the same period. The parameters like phagocytosis, total leukocyte count (TLC), humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were assessed. It was found that the chronic administration of ethanol decreased the humoral and cell-mediated immune response, phagocytosis, phagocytosis index, TLC, GSH, CAT and SOD activities and increased the LPO. These influences of ethanol were prevented by concurrent daily administration of FO and the effect was comparable with that of the combination of vitamin E and C.