Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Anoectochilus formosanus and Gynostemma pentaphyllum.

Anoectochilus formosanus Hay. and Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino are popular folk medicines that have been used for treating hepatitis, hypertension and cancer in Taiwan. Our previous studies showed that these crude drugs exert antiinflammatory activity and hepatoprotective activity against CCI4-induced liver damage. In this study, the antioxidant effect of these crude drugs and their hepatoprotective activity on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in rat was evaluated. Our results suggest that A. formosanus and G. pentaphyllum do have antioxidant effects. On acetaminophen-intoxicated model, the increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotrans-ferase (ALT) by acetaminophen administration were reduced by treatment with these two herbs. In histological observation, gross necrosis in the centribular area, sinusoidal congestion, infiltration of the lymphocytes and Kupffer cells around the hepatic central vein, and loss of cell boundaries and ballooning degeneration were reduced with ...