title: Hepatoprotection of emodin and Polygonum multiflorum against CCl(4)-induced liver injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polygonum multiflorum is known as a medicinal plant. It has been used as a folk medicine which showed antioxidative property.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Protective effects of the water extracts (w/v:1/10) from fresh P. multiflorum (WEP) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver damage in rats were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  CCl(4) was used for inducing liver damage of SD rats, and WEP and emodin were fed for eight consecutive weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that emodin levels in fresh WEP was higher than that in ripening WEP. Rats were administered WEP and emodin, the main active compound, for 56 consecutive days. WEP significantly lowered the serum levels of hepatic enzyme markers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and reduced the generation of malonaldehyde. Treatment with WEP recovered glutathione S-transferase and catalase activity in rats as compared to treatment with CCl(4) alone. In addition, serum tumor necrosis factor-α, an inflammatory marker, was found to decrease in rats treated with WEP. In histopathological evaluation, fatty degeneration and necrosis were found to be significantly decreased in the CCl(4) plus WEP treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WEP may be effective in attenuating liver damage by reducing lipid peroxidation as well as by positively modulating inflammation.
authors: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors: Bao-Hong
authors: BH
authors: Lee
authors: Ya-Yin
authors: YY
authors: Huang
authors: Pin-Der
authors: PD
authors: Duh
authors: She-Ching
authors: SC
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004642:Emodin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028502:Polygonum / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D004642:Emodin