The hepatoprotective effects of Limonium sinense against carbon tetrachloride and β-D-galactosamine intoxication in rats

In the present study, the hepatoprotective action of Limonium sinense (Plumbaginaceae) was evident after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and β‐D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN), respectively, challenge in rats. The plant materials were divided into two parts: (1) the roots extracted with water (WRE) and (2) the leaves extracted with methanol and fractionated with chloroform (CLE). Both WRE and CLE were extremely flavonoid‐enriched extracts. In an CCl4‐induced acute liver damage study, pretreatment with WRE at 300 mg/kg i.p. and CLE at 100 mg/kg i.p. significantly reduced the amino‐transaminases levels of SGOT (p < 0.01) and SGPT (p < 0.01) previously increased by CCl4 intoxication. In D‐GalN‐induced acute liver damage study, administration of WRE (300 and 500 mg/kg) or CLE (100 mg/kg) p.o. also significantly reduced the SGOT (p < 0.01) and SGPT (p < 0.01) levels previously increased by D‐GalN intoxication. Furthermore, the serum triglyceride level was increased after pretreatment with WRE or CLE previously reduced by D‐GalN intoxication. All of the liver function profiles were confirmed to have improvement of liver lesion in histopathological obsvervation. In an acute toxicity test on ICR mice, the LD50 of WRE was 777.6 mg/kg i.p. An in vitro study showed that CLE possessed a more potent cytotoxicity to human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Hep3B) (EC50 = 43.1 µg/mL) than the other organic fractions, which were fractionated from methanol extracts of the leaves of L. sinense. The present results conclude that L. sinense possesses a hepatoprotective efficacy, and is relatively safe in rats. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.