• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2018

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most heavily used organophosphate pesticides and is useful as an insecticide drug. However, CPF also causes toxic effects in nontarget organisms, including humans and animals. Jageum-Jung (JGJ) is a traditional oriental medicine, composed of five specific herbs with antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, used for detoxification. In the present study, highly concentrated CPF was orally administrated to male Institute of Cancer Research mice to produce acute toxicity, and the protective effects of JGJ administration were investigated through statistical analysis of changes in body and organ weights and serum biochemical parameters. JGJ caused body and organ weights to recover and reduced the levels of serum biochemical parameters indicative of liver damage, such as glutamic oxalate transaminase, glutamic pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase, urea, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride, that had been increased by CPF treatment. Our results demonstrated that JGJ ameliorates the effects of acute chlorpyrifos-induced toxicity. Therefore, JGJ has the potential to be used as a traditional medicine to alleviate insecticide toxicity.

• CELLMED
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.3.1-3.5
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• 2019

Zingiber officinale is a spice which is having a strong historical medicinal background and used by different systems of medicine for various ailments. It is also used to maintain the characteristic sharpness and tangy essence of food and beverages and used in carbonated drinks, as a conserve in sugar syrup. Ginger considered as an incredible drug for inflammation, gastrointestinal problems, pain and sexual problems since centuries. There are many studies carried out in recent years, which proves that the active constituents of ginger shows a variety of pharmacological effects like antiemetic, hepatoprotective, anti hyperlipidemic and antibacterial. The most momentous among all the nutraceutical aspects of ginger are its positive control on gastrointestinal tract including digestive stimulant action, anticancer effect and anti-inflammatory effect.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1037-1047
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• 2008

Background : A traditional Oriental medicine, GongJjn-dan (GJD), is one of the most well-known tonic agents in Korea. Among 6 types of GJD components, antler, red ginseng, and Cornus fructus have shown antioxidant effects, while EtOH-induced tissue damage may be a consequence of oxidative stress. Objectives & Methods : The hepatoprotective effects of GJD were evaluated on EtOH-mediated experimental liver damaged rats at 50, 100, 250 and 500mg/kg comparing with 100mg/kg of silymarin as a reference drug in the present study. Test substances were dosed once a day for 60 days with oral administration of 20% ethanol 2.5ml/100g body weight twice a day (equivalent to 7.9g ethanol/kg/day). Each of 8 rats per group was selected using body weight at 10 days after acclimatization. Experimental animals were sacrificed after 60 days of continuous oral treatment of test substances with 20% ethanol treatment, and changes on the body weight, liver weight, and serum AST and ALT were observed. Results : There were dramatic decreases of body weight and increases of liver weight and serum AST and ALT. Similar inhibition effects on the EtOH-induced hepatic damages were detected between equal dosages of GJD and silymarin. Conclusion : Based on these results. it is concluded that GJD showed clear hepatoprotective effects on EtOH-induced hepatic damage.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.114-118
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• 2001

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether or not the hepatoprotective activity of acetylbergenin was superior to bergenin in carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-intoxicated rat. Acetylbergenin was synthesized by acetylating bergenin, which was isolated from Mallotus japonicus. The hepatoprotective effects of acetylbergenin were examined against $CCl_4$-induced liver damage in rats by means of serum and liver biochemical Indices. Acetylbergenin was administered orally once daily for 7 successive days, then a 0.5 ${m/kg}$ mixture of $CCl_4$in olive oil (1:1) was intraperitoneally injected at 12 h and 36 h after the final administration of acetylbergenin. Pretreatment with acetylbergenin reduced the elevated serum enzymatic activities of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and $\gamma$-glutamyltransferase in a dose dependent fashion. Acetylbergenin also prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and depletion of glutathione content dose dependently in $CCl_4$-intoxicates rats. In addition, the decreased activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase were restored to almost normal levels. The results of this study strongly suggest that acetylbergenin n has potent hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4$-induced hepatic damage in rats by glutathione-mediated detoxification as well as having free radical scavenging activity. In addition, acetylbergenin doses of 50 ${mg/kg}$showed almost the same levels of hepatoprotection activity as 100 ${mg/kg}$ of bergenin, indicating that lipophilic acetylbergenin is more active against the antihepatotoxic effects of $CCl_4$ than those of the much less lipophilic bergenin.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.261-264
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• 2002

The heartwood of Caeralpinia sappan L. (Leguminosae) has been used to activate blood flow, remove blood stasis, reduce swelling and relieve pain in Korean folk medicine. In this study. the antioxidant effects of this crude drug and its hepatoprotective activity on CCl$_4$-induced liver injury in rats were evaluated. The levels of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) reduced by CCl$_4$treatment, were recovered by this crude drug. It is suggested that Caesalpinia sappan L. have antioxidant effect. The increased levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) by CCl$_4$were also recovered by treatment with this crude drug. These results can be attributed to the agent's antioxidant and membrane - stabilizing actions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.707-713
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• 2002

Astragali radix (AR) is one of the oldest and mast frequently used crude drug for traditional medicine in many Asian countries. This study designed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of the aqueous extracted AR (ARE) against acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic damage in ICR mice. APAP at the dose of 450 mg/kg i.p produced liver damage in ICR mice. Serum enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenese was dramatically decreased up to control level by pretreatment of ARE. However, hepatic glutathione level did not show a significant change between the tested groups. We also investigated TNF α mRNA gene expression on APAP-induced liver damage by RT-PCR. APAP dramatically induced TNF α mRNA gene expression in ICR mice. Pretreatment of mice with ARE led to a marked decrease of TNF α mRNA gene expression. These data indicate that 1) ARE has clearly revealed a hepatoprotective effect against APAP-induced hepatic damage in ICR mice, and 2) the protective effect of ARE may be, in part, associated with the regulation of TNF α mRNA gene expression.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.165-172
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• 2012

Raphanus sativus (Cruciferaceae), commonly known as radish is widely available throughout the world. From antiquity it has been used in folk medicine as a natural drug against many toxicants. The present study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of radish (Raphanus sativus) enzyme extract (REE) in vitro and in vivo test. The $IC_{50}$ values of REE in human liver derived HepG2 cells was over 5,000 ${\mu}g/ml$ in tested maximum concentration. The effect of REE to protect tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. REE showed their hepatoprotective activities on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity and the $EC_{50}$ value was 1,250 ${\mu}g/ml$. Silymarin, an antihepatotoxic agent used as a positive control exhibited 59.7% hepatoprotective activity at 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. Moreover, we tested the effect of REE on carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver toxicity in rats. REE at dose of 50 and 100 mg/kg and silymarin at dose of 50 mg/kg were orally administered to $CCl_4$-treated rats. The results showed that REE and silymarin significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum enzyme markers induced by $CCl_4$. The biochemical data were supported by evaluation with liver histopathology. These findings suggest that REE, can significantly diminish hepatic damage by toxic agent such as tacrine or $CCl_4$.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2003

The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanolic extract of Coccinia indica fruits in rats treated with carbon tetrachloride. In hepatotoxic rats, liver damage was studied by assessing parameters such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (AlT), alkaline phosphatase (AIP) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in serum, and concentrations of total proteins, total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol in both serum and liver. The effect of co-administration of ethanolic extract on the above parameters was further investigated. Histopathological study of the liver in experimental animals was also undertaken. Hepatic damage as evidenced by a rise in the levels of AST, AIT, AIP and GGT in serum, and also changes observed in other biochemical parameters In serum and liver showed a tendency to attain near normalcy in animals co-administered with the extract. The normal values for AST (IU/L), AIP (IU/I), protein (g/100 ml) and total lipids (mg/100 ml) in serum (i.e.,20.24, 70.04, 5.72 and 135.54 respectively) were found to alter towards values 32.61, 127.11, 3.83 and 265.91 in hepatotoxic rats. These parameters Attained near normal values (I.e.,22.82, 79.30, 5.22 and 151.24 for AST, AIP protein and total lipids respectively) in ethanolic extract co-administered rats. Profound steatosis, ballooning degeneration and nodule formation observed in the hepatic architecture of $CCl_4$ treated rats were found to acquire near-normalcy in drug co-administered rats, thus corroborating the biochemical observations. Thus the study substantiates the hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic extract of Coccinia indica fruits.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.218-223
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• 2018

The liver is an essential organ for the detoxification of exogenous xenobiotics, drugs and toxic substances. The incidence rate of non-alcoholic liver injury increases due to dietary habit change and drug use increase. Our previous study demonstrated that Ecklonia stolonifera (ES) formulation has hepatoprotective effect against alcohol-induced liver injury in rat and tacrine-induced hepatotoxicity in HepG2 cells. This present study was designated to elucidate hepatoprotective effects of ES formulation against carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury in Sprague Dawley rat. Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups. The rats were treated orally with ES formulation and silymarin (served as positive control, only 100 mg/kg/day) at a dose of 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day for 21 days. Seven days after treatment, liver injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection of $CCl_4$ (1.5 ml/kg, twice a week for 14 days). The administration of $CCl_4$ exhibited significant elevation of hepatic enzymes (like AST and ALT), and decrease of antioxidant related enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) and glutathione. Then, it leaded to DNA damages (8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde). Administration of ES formulation inhibited imbalance of above factors compared to $CCl_4$ induced rat in a dose dependent manner. Real time PCR analysis indicates that CYP2E1 was upregulated in $CCl_4$ induced rat. However, increased gene expression was compromised by ES formulation treatment. These findings suggests that ES formulation could protect hepatotoxicity caused by $CCl_4$ via two pathways: elevation of antioxidant enzymes and normalization of CYP2E1 enzyme.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.285-290
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• 2011

The rhizome of Alisma orientale Juzep (Alismataceae) has been used as a crude drug for diabetes, edema, inflammation and urinary disturbances in oriental medicine. Recent animal studies have shown that the extract of Alisma orientale rhizome (AOR) can potently lower high levels of serum lipids and improve insulin resistance, which are usually detected in patients and animals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. So, we studied the antioxidative effects of AOR extracts and fraction in vitro and their protective effects against acute hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$ in vivo.. We then investigated the effects of each fraction on hepatotoxicity induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP). DAOR (dichloromethane fraction of the Alisma orientale rhizome) scavenged free radicals and superoxide anions. DAOR protected against $CCl_4$ induced hepatotoxicity. DAOR had hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects against t-BHP-induced hepatotoxicity in HepG2 cells and in rats.