title: Hepatoprotective Effect of Cuscuta campestris Yunck. Whole Plant on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Chronic Liver Injury in Mice.
abstract: Cuscuta seeds and whole plant have been used to nourish the liver and kidney. This study was aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of the ethanol extract ofCuscuta campestrisYunck. whole plant (CCEtOH). The hepatoprotective effect of CCEtOH(20, 100 and 500 mg/kg) was evaluated on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced chronic liver injury. Serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride and cholesterol were measured and the fibrosis was histologically examined. CCEtOHexhibited a significant inhibition of the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride and cholesterol. Histological analyses showed that fibrosis of liver induced by CCl₄ were significantly reduced by CCEtOH. In addition, 20, 100 and 500 mg/kg of the extract decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhanced the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GRd) in the liver. We demonstrate that the hepatoprotective mechanisms of CCEtOHwere likely to be associated to the decrease in MDA level by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GPx and GRd. In addition, our findings provide evidence thatC. campestrisYunck. whole plant possesses a hepatoprotective activity to ameliorate chronic liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Biopharmaceutical and Food Sciences, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. whpeng@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Wen-Huang
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Biopharmaceutical and Food Sciences, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. kathy@hsbf.com.tw.
authors.forename: Yi-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Biopharmaceutical and Food Sciences, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. leemengshiou@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Meng-Shiou
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Biopharmaceutical and Food Sciences, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. wtchang@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Wen-Te
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, College of Health Science, Asia University, 500 Liufeng Rd., Wufeng, Taichung 41354, Taiwan. jenchieh@mail.dyu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Jen-Chieh
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, 79-9 Sha-Luen Hu Xi-Zhou Li Hou-Loung Town, Miaoli 356, Taiwan. u462013@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Ying-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Biopharmaceutical and Food Sciences, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. linmk@mail.cmu.edu.tw.|Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd., South Dist., Taichung 402, Taiwan. linmk@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ming-Kuem
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D034182:Cuscuta / Q000737:chemistry*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Cuscuta campestris; antioxidant effect; carbon tetrachloride; fibrosis; hepatoprotective effect