• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.117-130
• /
• 2008

Korean traditional medicine has been used for the treatment of the various diseases based on both oriental medicinal theory and clinical trials. Thus, the prescriptions of Korean traditional medicine would be useful for the development of new therapeutics. This research focuses on the fundamental study in Korean traditional prescriptions for the development of new hepatoprotective agents. We found two prescriptions. Injinho-Tang and Osumogwa-Tang, showed the significant DPPH free radical scavenging and hepatoprotective effect, respectively. It is well-known that free radical scavenging effect is related to the prevention of various pathological events including liver injury. This paper deals with hepatoprotective effects on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells, free radicals scavenging on both DPPH and superoxide of above two prescriptions. Hot water extract of Injinho-Tang did not show the significant hepatoprotective effect on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells, however, it shows the significant scavenging effects for both DPPH and superoxide radicals. On the other hand, all of the hot water extracts of constituent herbal drugs in Injinho-Tang exhibited the promising protective effect on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Of these, water extract of Rhei Rhizoma showed the most prominent effect on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation of Rhei Rhizoma extract has furnished four compounds, and their chemical structures have been identified by comparison of their spectral data with those of literature as chrysophanol (1), emodin (2), 3,5-dihydroxy-4'- methoxystilbene (3), and rhapontigenin (4), respectively. Among the isolated compounds, compounds 2-4 revealed the significant hepatoprotective effect in vitro when their $EC_{50}$ values compare with that of silybin, as a positive control. It also exhibited that emodin possessed the most hepatoprotective effect among these active compounds. In case of Osumogwa-Tang, its hot water extract showed the moderate protective effect on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Hot water extract of Chaenomelis Fructus, one of the constituent herbal drug of this prescription, exhibited the significant hepatoprotective effect with $EC_{50}$ value of $7.8{\pm}0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$, however, it showed strong cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells above the concentration of $25\;{\mu}g/ml$. It was revealed that both hot water extract of Evodiae Fructus and its butanol soluble fraction showed the moderate hepatoprotective effect but concentration-dependent activity in Hep G2 assay system. Two quinolone alkaloids, evocarpine and dihydroevocarpine, also tested for their hepatoprotective effects on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells, however, these two compounds derived from the Evodiae Fructus as the major constituents did not show in vitro hepatoprotective effect. From these results, it would be necessary to further isolation of its hepatoprotective compounds from the butanol soluble fraction of the hot water extract of Evodiae Fructus.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.718-722
• /
• 1998

Scopoletin (7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin), a coumarin, was isolated from the aerial part of Solanum lyratum Thunb. by the activity-guided fractionation employing carbon te trachloride-intoxicated primary cultured rat hepatocytes as a screening system. Its hepatoprotective activity was first evaluated by measuring the release of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase from carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rat hepatocytes into the culture medium. Scopoletin significantly reduced the releases of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase from the carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated primary cultured rat hepatocytes by 53% and 58%, respectively, from the toxicity in a dose-dependent manner over concentration ranges of 1mcM to 50mcM. Further studies revealed that at the concentration of 10mcM, scopoletin significantly preserved glutathione content by 50% and the activity of superoxide dismutase by 36% and also inhibited the production of malondialdehyde to the degree as seen in the control.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.194-201
• /
• 1997

The hepatoprotective activity of six extracts (BE, EE, HH, PS-1, PS-2, KP) from Artimisia iwayomogi was investigated against experimentally produced hepatic damages. Silymarin, DDB and UDCA were used as reference compounds. Treatment with PS-1 extract reduced hepatic demages induced by $CCl_4$, acetaminophen and ANIT but it did not alter ethionine-induced hepatotoxicity In addition, PS-1 extract showed a protective effect against chronic $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity as well as liver regeneration. PS-2 and KP extracts exhibited significant antihepatotoxic effects on D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis. Treatment with EE extract inhibited ethionine-induced fatty liver. These data indicate that the PS-1 extract is the roost hepato-protective constituent and rationalize the traditional use of this plant in hepatobiliary disorders.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.148-154
• /
• 2008

Excessive alcohol use causes oxidative stress in the liver, and antioxidant therapy has been an attractive approach for the treatment of ethanol-induced liver damage. The present study examined the hepatoprotective effect of Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai (Korean name, Jeju-Joritdae) in C57BL/6 mice intoxicated with ethanol. Mice were intraperitoneally administered with ethanol alone, or together with test materials three times at 12-h intervals. At 3 h after the last dosing, hepatotoxicity was assessed based on serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and hepatic contents of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and glutathione. Sasa quelpaertensis extract mitigated the acute ethanol hepatotoxicity as effectively as silymarin. Its n-butanol fraction was more active than methylene chloride or aqueous fraction. p-Coumaric acid, a major constituent of S. quelpaertensis, was found to effectively prevent the ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. These data suggest that S. quelpaertensis and p-coumaric acid could be useful for the prevention of liver disease caused by alcohol abuse.