ANTI-OXIDATIVE AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITIES OF DenDrobium tosaense AND ephemerantha fimbriata IN CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-INDUCED ACUTE LIVER INJURY

This study was intended to investigate the anti-oxidative activity, anti-oxidative substance content and the protective effect of Dendrobium tosaense (DT) and Ephemerantha fimbriata (EF) on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury. Firstly, we detected the contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids in the DTEtOH and EFEtOH. Second, the anti-oxidative activities of the DTEtOH and EFEtOH were determined using DPPH free radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay, ferrous metal-chelating capacities assay in vitro. Finally, the hepatoprotective effect of DTEtOH and EFEtOH was determined using CCl4-induced acute liver injury. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (sALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase (sAST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), the levels of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. The results were confirmed by liver histology. DTEtOH and EFEtOH possessed anti-oxidative activity and polyphenol content. When mice were treated with CCl4 in the absence of DTEtOH and EFEtOH, the activities of sALT and sAST, and MDA level were increased, while the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, catalase, GR, GST) and GSH level were decreased. When the mice were treated with CCl4 in the presence of DTEtOH and EFEtOH, the activities of sALT and sAST, and MDA level were significantly decreased, while the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and the GSH level were increased. The above results were confirmed by liver histological examination. DTEtOH and EFEtOH possessed anti-oxidative activity and protected against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice by increasing the anti-oxidant enzymes activities and GSH level.