Hepatoprotective effect of the extract and isocytisoside from Aquilegia vulgaris

The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanol extract (AvEE) and the main avonoid compound 4′‐methoxy‐5,7‐dihydroxyavone 6‐C‐ β ‐glucopyranoside (isocytisoside, ISOC) from the leaves and stems of Aquilegia vulgaris L. were studied using the CCl 4 ‐induced hepatotoxicity test. The acute toxicity test in mice showed that AvEE can be classied as nontoxic since a dose of 3000 mg/ kg did not cause mortality. The barbiturate‐induced sleeping time prolonged by CCl 4 administration to mice was signicantly reduced after AvEE treatment proving the protective effect of the extract on microsomal drug‐metabolizing enzymes. AvEE and ISOC administered to rats 48 h, 24 h and 2 h before, and 6 h after CCl 4 intoxication caused a signicant decrease in the CCl 4 ‐induced elevation of hepatic enzymes activity in serum, i.e. sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), glutamate oxaloacetate and glutamate pyruvate transaminases (GOT, GPT). Both substances induced CCl 4 ‐diminished erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) preliminarily enhanced by CCl 4 . The hepatoprotective properties of AvEE and ISOC were conrmed by pathomorphological examination of the liver. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.