• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2002

Silymarin and curcumin have been used for supportive treatment of liver disease of difffrent etiology due to their hepatoprotective activities. The present study was carried out to investigate the hepatoprotective efffcts of silymarin and/or curcuma extract against hepatotoxins induced liver injury. To investigate hepatoprotective effects, the silymarin and/or curcuma extract were pre-treated orally to experimental animals. And thereafter a single dose of hepatotoxin, carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) and acetaminophen were administered through oral or intraperitoneal route, respectively. Chronic liver damage was induced by subcutaneous injection of $CCl_4$ for 3 weeks (2 times/week). Hepatoprotective and therapeutic effects were monitored by estimating serurn ALT and AST levels and by measuring hepatic glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA)levels. Collagen type 1 was detected with irnrnunostaining to assess fibrosis. The results showed that the mix-ture of silymarin and curcuma extract significantly reduced serum biochemistry levels and MDA levels com-pared with those of control group in both acute and chronic animal models. In antifibrotic effect, the relative hepatic collagen content was significantly decreased by silymarin and/or curcuma extract treatment. It was concluded that the complex of silymarin and curcuma extract have a both hepatoprotective and therapeutic effect synergically in rat liver injury induced by heptotoxins.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2005

In order to find the new hepatoprotective agents preliminary screening of twelve prescriptions which have been used for the treatment of hepatic disease in Oriental traditional medicine has been carried out. Both DPPH free radical scavenging and hepatoprotective effect on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells are performed. Osumokkya-tang which is one of the prescription belongs to interior-warming properties showed the DPPH free radical scavenging effect as well as hepatoprotective activity significantly. It is also suggested that its hepatoprotective effect is derived from Chaenomelis Fructus.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2002

The particle size of medicinal materials is an Important physical property that affects the phar-maceutical behaviors such as dissolution, chemical stability, and bioavailability of solid dosage forms. The size reduction of raw medicinal powder is needed to formulate insoluble drugs or slightly soluble medicines and to improve the pharmaceutical properties such as the solubility, the pharmaceutical mixing, and the dispersion. The objective of the present study is to evaluate physiological activity of amorphous and nano-particle prep-arations of insoluble drug, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which were made by three types of fine grinding mills. The change of physical properties of ground UDCA was conformed by Mastersiger microplus and X-ray diffraction. We have investigated hepatoprotective effects of the nano-particle preparations of UDCA by plan-etary mill, vibration rod mill and jet mill in $CCI_4$-induced oxidatively injured mouse liver. The results showed that nano-particle preparations of UDCA all decreased reactive oxygen sepecies generation and lipid peroxi-dation in $CCI_4$-induced oxidative stress mice. Among them, nano-particle preparations by vibration rod mill and jet mill showed more significantly hepatoprotective effects compared to intact UDCA and planetary mill-ground UDCA. These results suggest that ground UDCA with vibration rod mill and jet mill shows a high amorphous state and the improved dissolution.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.1 s.144
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• pp.28-32
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• 2006

Hepatoprotective effects of an aqueous extract prepared from the aerial part of Agrimonia eupatoria L., a species of agrimmony, were investigated in experimental liver-damaged models. To investigate hepatoprotective effects, the agrimmony extract were fed orally to experimental animals. Thereafter a single dose of hepatotoxin, carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)$ or D-galac-tosamine was orally administrated. Chronic liver damage was induced by oral administration of $CCl_4$ for 2 weeks (1 time/day). Hepatoprotective effects were monitored by estimating serum AST and ALT levels. The results showed that the agrimmony extract significantly reduced AST and ALT levels compared with those of control group in both acute and chronic animal models. It was concluded that the agrimmony extract have hepatoprotective effects against rat liver injury induced by $CCl_4$ or D-galactosamine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.1121-1126
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• 2006

In the present study, the potential hepatoprotective effects of poly herbal formulation, Hepa-1000, against oxidative damages induced by t-BHP were evaluated in HepG2 cells in order to relate in vitro antioxidant activity with cytoprotective effects. The t-BHP induced considerable cell damage in HepG2 cells was shown by significant glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, and increased lipid peroxidation. Hepa-1000-treated cells showed an increased resistance to oxidative challenge, as revealed by higher survival capacity than the one of control cells against t-BHP induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity. In addition, the Hepa-1000 had hepatoprotective effects lowering the activity of GOT and LDH, simultaneously. That is, it could inhibit the cell membrane damages resulting in the increased activities of GOT and LDH in the cell culture media. Furthermore, the Hepa-1000 could reduce t-BHP enhanced lipid peroxidation, which was evaluated by measuring the production of malonedialdehyde. Based on the data described above, it could be suggested that the Hepa-1000 has significant hepatoprotective effects and plays a protective role against lipid peroxidation by free radicals.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.887-890
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• 2005

To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of lactic acid bacteria, their effects on tert-butylperoxide (t-BHP)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice were measured. When lactic acid bacteria at doses of 0.5 and 2 g (wet weight)/kg were orally administered to mice with t-BHP-induced liver injury, these bacteria significantly inhibited the increase of plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities by $17-57\%$ and $57-66\%$ of the t-BHP control group, respectively. However, these lactic acid bacteria did not protect cytotoxicity induced by t-BHP against HepG2 cells. The inhibitory effects of these lactic acid bacteria at a dose of 15 g/kg were comparable with that of diphenyl dimethyl bicarboxylate at a dose of 0.2 g/kg, which has been used as a commercial hepatoprotective agent. Among these lactic acid Jacteria, Bifidobacterium longum HY8001 exhibited the most potent hepatoprotective effect. These orally administered lactic acid bacteria inhibited liver lipid peroxidation on t-BHP-induced hepatotoxicity of mice. We suggest that lactic acid bacteria may be an effective agent against liver injury.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.93-95
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• 1991

Alcoholic extract of the leaves of Andrographis paniculata Ness (=AAP) was obtained by cold maceration. A dose of 300 mg/kg $(1/6of\;LD_{50})$ of the extract was selected to study hepatoprotective action against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage. The extract was found to be effective in preventing liver damage which was evident by morphological, biochemical and functional parameters.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.325-329
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• 2005

The hepatoprotective activity of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis HY7401, Lactobacillus acidophilus CSG and Bifidobacterium longum HY8001), which inhibited $\beta$-glucuronidase productivity of intestinal microflora, on t-BHP- or CCl$_4$-induced hepatotoxicity of mice were evaluated. These oral administration of lactic acid bacteria lowered $\beta$-glucuronidase production of intestinal microflora as well as Escherichia coli HGU-3. When lactic acid bacteria at a dose of 0.5 or 2 g (wet weight)/kg was orally administered on CCl$_4$-induced liver injury in mice, these bacteria significantly inhibited the increase of plasma alanine transferase and aspartate transferase activities by $17-57\%$ and $57-66\%$ of the $CCI_4$ control group, respectively. These lactic acid bacteria also showed the potent hepatoprotective effect against t-BHP-induced liver injury in mice. The inhibitory effects of these lactic acid bacteria were more potent than that of dimethyl diphenyl bicarboxylate (DDB), which have been used as a commercial hepatoprotective agent. Among these lactic acid bacteria, L. acidophilus CSG exhibited the most potent hepatoprotective effect. Based on these findings, we insist that an inhibitor of $\beta$-glucuronidase production in intestine, such as lactic acid bacteria, may be hepatoprotective.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1376-1380
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• 2005

In this study, ethanolic extracts from 18 seaweed variants were assessed for hepatoprotective activity against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Only one of these, Ecklonia stolonifera Okamura (Laminariaceae), a member of the brown algae, exhibited promising hepatoprotective activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the active ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction obtained from the ethanolic extract of E. stolonifera, resulted in the isolation of several phlorotannins [phloroglucinol (1), eckstolonol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), and dieckol (5)]. Compounds 2 and 4 were determined to protect Hep G2 cells against the cytotoxic effects of tacrine, with $EC_{50}$ values of 62.0 and 79.2 $\mu$g/mL, respectively. Silybin, a well characterized hepatoprotective agent, was used as a positive control, and exhibited an $EC_{50}$ value of 50.0 $\mu$g/mL. It has been suggested that the phlorotannins derived from marine brown algae might prove useful sources in the development of novel hepatoprotective agents.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.383.1-383.1
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• 2002

In connection with our studies on the isolation of hepatoprotective constituents from natural products. we have recently reported hepatoprotective compounds including phenolic bakuchiol. diarylheptanoids. furocoumarins. In the course of continuing efforts. the aqueous extract of the roots of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. (Rosaceae) was found to exhibit promising hepatoprotective activity. A. pilosa is a perennial herb distributed throughout South Korea. and its roots have been used as the hemostatic. antimalarial. and antidysenteric agent in oriental medicine. Chemical investigation of the aqueous extract of the roots of this plant. as guided by hepatoprotective active catechin (2). Compound 1 showed hepatoprotective effects on both tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in human level derived Hep G2 cells and tert-hydroperoxide-induced cytotoxicity in rat primary hepatocyles with $EC_{50}$ values of 66.2 $\pm$ 2.8 and 22.9 $\pm$ 2.6 $\mu\textrm{M}$ respectively.