The Relationship Between Antioxidant Activity And Liver- Protective Activity of Several Taiwan Folk Medicines

Abstract

The relationship between antioxidant activity and liver-protective activity against CCI4- induced hepatotoxicity of several Taiwan folk medicines were investigated in this study. Our results have demonstrated that liver-protective effects of Mallotus repandus, Bauhinia championii, Uncaria hirsuta, Uncaria rhynchophylla, Anoectochilus formosanus, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma formosanum, Ganoderma neo-japonicum, and Arotium lappa were paralled with the free radical scavenger activity. Present data have suggested that the potent free radical scavenger activity of these drug extracts may modulate the action of the overload superoxide radical or hydroxyl radical to hepatocytes and reduced the hepatotoxicity caused by CCI4. The result of Bauhinia championii has shown a more potent free radical scavenger activity and liver-protective effect. 本次研究主要探討台灣數種常用保肝生藥，其對四氯化碳所誘發之急性肝炎的防治效果與生藥抗氧化活性之關係。研究結果證實保肝生藥，包括Mallotus repandus, Bauhinia champi-onii , Uncaria hirsuta, Uncaria rhynchophylla, Anoectochilus formosanus, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Ganderma lucidum, Ganoderma formosanum, Ganoderma neo-iaponicum及Arctium lappa 確實具有清除自由基的抗氧化能力。 此次結果亦顯示，具有強力清除自由基能力的生藥能夠改善由於過量活性氧，包括super-oxide radical及hydroxyl radical對肝細胞之傷害，並減輕四氯化碳所導致之肝毒性。此次研究之生藥中Bauhinia championii認則顯示了最佳之保肝作用及最強的自由基清除活性。