Hepatoprotective effects of bergenin, a major constituent of Mallotus japonicus, on carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated rats

The hepatoprotective effects of bergenin, a major constituent of Mallotus japonicus, were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage in rats. Bergenin at a dose of 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg was administered orally once daily for successive 7 days and then a mixture of 0.5 ml/kg (ip) of CCl4 in olive oil (1:1) was injected two times each at 12 and 36 h after the final administration of bergenin. The substantially elevated serum enzymatic activities of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyltransferase due to CCl4 treatment were dose dependently restored towards normalization. Meanwhile, the decreased activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase were restored towards normalization. In addition, bergenin also significantly prevented the elevation of hepatic malondhldehyde formation and depletion of reduced glutathione content in the liver of CCl4-intoxicatcd rats in a dose dependent fashion. The results of this study clearly indicate that bergenin has a potent hepatoprotective action against CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.