title: The hepatoprotective effect and chemical constituents of total iridoids and xanthones extracted from Swertia mussotii Franch.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Total iridoids and xanthones (TIXS) were extracted from Swertia mussotii Franch, one of the most important eight Tibetan medicines in China, which was recorded in the book of Jingzhu Bencao and used for clinical treatment of cholestatic hepatitis for many years. Our aim was to study the hepatoprotective effect and chemical constituents of the TIXS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crude extracts were prepared using 90% ethanol, and individual fractions were collected following HPD-300 macroporous resin column chromatography. HPLC/MS was applied to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the TIXS. Then, the alpha-naphthylisot hiocyanate-induced liver damage model was used to assess the hepatoprotective effect of the TIXS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 12 compounds were identified by the fingerprint chromatography of the TIXS, and swertiamarin and swertianolin were shown to be its two main components. Oral administration of the TIXS at a dose of 35, 70 or 140 mg kg(-1), swertiamarin at a dose of 20 mg kg(-1) or swertianolin at a dose of 20 mg kg(-1), for 7 days in mice significantly reduced the alpha-naphthylisot hiocyanate-induced levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and the total and direct bilirubins, and increased the bile flow (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the TIXS exhibits significant hepatoprotective effect in the liver damage model induced by alpha-naphthylisot hiocyanate. Its active constituents include swertiamarin and swertianolin.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Chengwang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Tiejun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin 300193, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China. Electronic address: linghuojiang@jiangnan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Linghuo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D015058:1-Naphthylisothiocyanate; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D039823:Iridoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D029967:Swertia; D044004:Xanthones / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D039823:Iridoids; D020011:Protective Agents; D044004:Xanthones; D015058:1-Naphthylisothiocyanate
keywords: Hepatoprotective effect; Iridoids; Swertia mussotii; Swertiamarin; Swertianolin; Xanthones