Paracetamol overdose is a major cause of acute liver failure, necessitating the search for effective natural antidotes. The peel of Red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) is an abundant agro-waste product rich in betacyanins and flavonoids, yet its potential as a sustainable hepatoprotective agent remains underexplored. This study aimed to valorize this waste product by evaluating the hepatoprotective activity of H. polyrhizus peel extract against paracetamol-induced liver injury in Wistar rats. Twenty-five male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Negative Control, Positive Control (Paracetamol-induced), and three treatment groups pretreated with the extract (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg BW) for 7 days. Liver injury was assessed quantitatively based on necrosis, ballooning degeneration, and steatosis scores. The Positive Control group exhibited severe hepatocellular damage (p0.05). The study confirms that H. polyrhizus peel extract effectively mitigates paracetamol toxicity, with 200 mg/kg identified as the optimal dose. This research contributes to the pharmaceutical field by providing scientific evidence for repurposing fruit peel waste as a potent, cost-effective, and eco-friendly source of hepatoprotective compounds.
Agustriangga et al. (Tue,) studied this question.