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Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Acathopanax senticosus
Author(s) -
Lin ChunChing,
Huang PeiChen
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1573(200011)14:7<489::aid-ptr656>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - antioxidant , acetaminophen , traditional medicine , toxicity , pharmacology , phytotherapy , chemistry , alanine aminotransferase , pharmacognosy , liver toxicity , folk medicine , medicine , biochemistry , biological activity , in vitro , pathology , alternative medicine
Acathopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms. is a popular folk medicine used as a nutrient for hepatitis and cancer in Taiwan. In this study, the antioxidant activity of the crude extract and the hepatoprotective activities on CCl 4 ‐ or acetaminophen‐induced toxicity in the rat liver were evaluated. Our results suggest that A. senticosus exerts some antioxidant effects. On a CCl 4 ‐ or acetaminophen‐intoxicated model, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were increased by CCl 4 or acetaminophen administration and reduced by treatment with the plant extract. Histological changes around the hepatic central vein were also recovered by treatments. However, treatments with larger doses of the crude extract of A. senticosus enhanced liver damage. This result suggests that even if A. senticosus had hepatoprotective activity in small doses, treatment with larger doses would possibly induce some cell toxicity. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.