Liver cirrhosis is one of the most dangerous health problems which result from various disorders that damage liver cells over time. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the prophylactic effect of L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or their combination against the deteriorative effect induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) on rat's liver. Administration of CCl4 provides a suitable animal model for free radical damage in liver such as fatty degeneration, fibrosis, hepatocellular death and carcinogenicity. The study was carried out on rats as follows: four normal groups (control, treated with L-carnitine, treated with CoQ10, and treated with combination of L-carnitine and CoQ10) and four cirrhotic groups treated with CCl4 (control, treated with L-carnitine, treated with CoQ10, and treated with combination of L-carnitine and CoQ10). Effect of L-carnitine and CoQ10 as protective agents against liver cirrhosis was determined by measuring hepatic content of reduced glutathione, lipid peroxides, ascorbic acid, total protein and lactate dehydrogenase. Also, serum activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total protein, albumin, sialic acid, nitrite and lactat

Schistosomiasis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality associated with parasitic infections in endemic areas, affecting nearly 300 million people in 76 countries all over the world. Adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni reside in the mesenteric venous plexus of the bowel, from where the eggs are frequently swept back to the liver via the portal blood to induce delayed hypersensitivity response. The major pathology is granulomatous inflammation, which is a cellular response to antigens secreted by the internal membrane and miracidia of schistosome eggs. Subsequently, the granulomas heal, resulting in a unique form of periportal fibrosis followed by portal hypertension as the main complication. In the few past years, the schistosomiasis control initiative and endemic country programs treated millions of people with praziquantel (PZQ), the single antischistosomiasis drug in widespread use. There was already clinical and laboratory evidence for the existence of PZQ resistance parasites, and widespread use is expected to generate strong selective pressure for drug resistance. Thus, the new trend nowadays is the use of natural plant extracts as new safe and effective drugs.

CCl4 is a halogen aliphatic hydrocarbon derived from methane with an aromatic sweet odor, and heavier than water in which it is sparingly soluble. Its use is very much restricted on account of the fact that its toxicity can manifest itself after simple inhaling. CCl4 has been widely used as a dry-cleaning solvent and in-fire-extinguishers because it is a non-flammable liquid. The experimental model of CCl4 treatment in rats has been extensively used to study liver fibrogensis. The bio-activation of CCl4 is complex and implicated both reductive and oxidative pathways. CCl4 is widely used to treat animals as a liver injury model because damage by CCl4 is regarded as the analogue of liver damage caused by a variety of hepatotoxins in humans. Liver disease is a worldwide problem; conventional drugs used in the treatment of liver disease are sometimes inadequate and can have serious adverse effects. It is; therefore, necessary to search for alternative drugs for treatment of liver disease to replace currently used drugs of doubtful efficacy and safety, so there is a worldwide trend to go back to traditional medicinal plants in use for treatment of liver ailments.