Superfine saengshik improves liver protecting effect compared with fine saengshik in an animal model.

ABSTRACT:  This study was performed to compare the effect of liver protection of fine saengshik (FS) and superfine saengshik (SS) and uncooked and powdered grains and vegetables, produced by the different mill technique on the acute hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4 in mouse. As the result of particle size distribution in number, particles included under 0.955 μm dia were 7.02% and 68.92% respectively. Hematological and serological examination showed that AST (P < 0.05) and ALT (P < 0.05) of SS + CCl4 group decreased significantly compared with those of FS + CCl4 group. On the examination of antioxidant effect, water extract of SS showed a higher superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity on the condition of the HX/XOD system than that of FS (P < 0.001). Also, the glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.01) and glutathione reductase (P < 0.05) activities in liver showed a significant difference between FS + CCl4 and SS + CCl4 groups. On the histological observation of liver, SS + CCl4 group showed a mild reversible hepatocytic change and infiltration of inflammatory cells around the central veins, whereas FS + CCl4 group showed severe agglutination necrosis by CCl4 toxicity. These results suggest that superfine saengshik significantly improves liver protection effect compared with fine saengshik; its major mechanism is supposed to be the improved antioxidant effect of saengshik by reduced size of particles.