title: Hepatoprotection of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther on CCl₄-induced liver damage and inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther, a vegetable consumed in Taiwan, has been used in folk medicine for protection against liver injury, although its actual efficacy remains uncertain. Therefore, we investigated the protective effects of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver damage in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Water extracts of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther (WGP) were administered for 8 consecutive weeks to male Sprague-Dawley rats. And a dose-dependent manner in preventing liver damage was confirmed. Moreover, the major ingredient of WGP, gallic acid, was also orally administrated in the CCl(4)-induced rats. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical parameters such as antioxidant enzymes and histopathological studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WGP ranging from 50 to 300 mg/kg bw administrations significantly lowered serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, and inhibited malondialdehyde (MDA) generation in CCl(4)-treated rats. WGP increased cellular GSH level and antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and catalase. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was decreased in the group treated with CCl(4) plus WGP (150 and 300 mg/kg bw). Histopathological examination of livers showed that WGP reduced fatty degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolization and necrosis in CCl(4)-treated rats. In contrary, 10mg/kg bw of gallic acid was administrated, this dose was related with WGP (300 mg/kg bw), and had significantly decreased the AST and ALT compared to the CCl(4)-treated group. Aforesaid results suggested that gallic acid from WGP offered antioxidative activity against CCl(4)-induced oxidative liver damage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, this study is the first time to suggest that Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther exerts hepatoprotection via promoting antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties against CCl(4)-induced oxidative liver damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, 60 Erh-Jen Road, Section 1, Pao-An, Jen-te Hsiang, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Pin-Der
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Duh
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: She-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D029627:Crassulaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013624:Taiwan; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005707:Gallic Acid; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase