Activity of the Ethanolic Extract from Fruit of Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum on CCl₄ Induced Liver Injury in BALB/c Mice

시로미 열매 추출물이 CCl₄로 유발된 마우스의 간 손상에 미치는 영향

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract from the fruit of Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum (EN) on $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity. Orally provided daily for 7 days were 250-mg/kg or 500-mg/kg EN or vehicle, while $CCl_4$ (40 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected the day after the last treatment of EN. Twenty-four hours after injection of $CCl_4$, we measured serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity of the liver. The antioxidant activities were measured with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. The EN showed a strong DPPH radical scavenging activity and inhibitory effect of lipid peroxidation. The ALT and AST levels in serum were greatly enhanced by the $CCl_4$ injection. However, in the EN treatment group, the levels of ALT and AST in serum were significantly reduced. Moreover, $CCl_4$ significantly increased the MDA contents and decreased the SOD and CAT activity in liver homogenates. The EN recovered MDA contents, close to that in the normal group, while the EN increased the SOD and CAT activity. These results suggest that ethanolic extract from the fruit of Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum has significant antioxidant activity and hepatic protection potential.

시로미 열매 추출물의 라디칼 소거 활성과 간 손상 동물모델에서의 항산화 효소 활성 측정을 통해 추출물의 항산화 효과를 평가하였다. In vitro 실험에서, 시로미 열매 추출물은 12.0 ug/ml의 농도에서 DPPH 라디칼을 50% 소거하는 활성을 보였고, 1 mg/ml의 농도에서 56.1%의 지질과산화 억제 활성을 나타내었다. 그리고 $CCl_4$로 유도한 간 손상 동물모델에서 serum ALT 및 AST의 수치를 감소시켜 간보호 효능을 나타내었고, 간 조직의 지질 과산화를 최대 73% 억제하였으며, 항산화 효소인 SOD 및 catalase의 활성을 유의적으로 증가시켰다.