Effect of &lt;i&gt;Angelica gigas&lt;/i&gt; Nakai extract on hepatic damage in rats

Won Tae Kim,Kang Min Kim,Jae Seon Kang

doi:10.4314/tjpr.v19i5.22

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of decursin and decursinol angelate (D/DA) isolated from Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN).Methods: The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity of D/DA was assessed in a rat model using blood tests, western blotting, and histopathological analyses to identify the pharmaceutical effects of D/DA on liver enzymes and liver morphology.Results: The DPPH scavenging activity of D/DA was 47.11 μg/mL. Administration of D/DA to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated rats led to a decrease (13.59 %) in the total liver mass of control rats. Decursin and decursinol angelate also lowered the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), but increased the concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, including catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Histological examination revealed that D/DA also reduced hepatocellular damage in the rats.Conclusion: D/DA from AGN has significant anti-hepatotoxic and antioxidant activities, and thus, is a potential herbal drug for treating liver damage. Keywords: Decursin, Decursinol angelate, Antihepatotoxicity, Antioxidant, Angelica gigas Nakai

Highlights

Angelica gigas Nakai is a medicinal herb that is widely used in Asia (Korea, Japan, and China) [1]
The DPPH radical scavenging activity of decursin and decursinol angelate (D/DA) was lower than that of α-tocopherol, D/DA displayed better antioxidant potential as compared to that of ascorbic acid (Figure 1), indicating that D/DA was able to capture free radicals formed by DPPH
These results indicate that rats administered CCl4 showed severe hepatic damage (NG) compared to rats in the control group (CG) and those in the positive group (PG) and EG groups, which were treated with silymarin (PG) and D/DA (EG), respectively

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Angelica gigas Nakai is a medicinal herb that is widely used in Asia (Korea, Japan, and China) [1]. Rats in NG received a 0.5 % carboxymethyl cellulose solution (7 mL/kg body weight) orally for 14 days, and received CCl4 (3 mL/kg body weight) containing olive oil intraperitoneally. NG rats received a 0.5 % carboxymethyl cellulose solution (7 mL/kg body weight) orally for 14 days, and received CCl4 (3 mL/kg body weight) in olive oil intraperitoneally. PG and EG rats received silymarin and D/DA, respectively, orally at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg for 14 days and received CCl4 (3 mL/kg body weight) in olive oil intraperitoneally. At day 15, serum blood samples were collected for AST and ALT analysis, which were analyzed with a GOT-GPT assay kit (Asan Pharmaceutical Inc., Korea) and AST and ALT levels were quantified using a microplate reader (EL 800 Universal Microplate Reader, BIOTEK Instrument, Inc., Winooski, VT, USA) at a 505 nm wavelength. Data with the p values < 0.05 are considered to be statistically significant

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

Conflict of interest