Hepatoprotective activity of Taraxacum Officinale Water Extract against D‐galactosamine‐induced hepatitis in rats.

Abstract

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a common plant in the northern hemisphere and known to have hepatoprotective activity in Old Korean Medicine. The hepatoprotective activity of dandelion water extract (DWE) was investigated against D-galactosamine (GalN) induced hepatitis in rats. Forty Sprague-Dawley male rats aging 7 weeks were used, which were divided into 5 groups; normal control group (C) fed normal semipurified diet, DWE-control group (DWE-C) saline injection after feeding 3% DWE diet, GalN-control group (GalN-C) GaIN injection after normal diet, DWEI group (GaIN injection after feeding 1.5% DWE diet), and DWEII group (GaIN injection after feeding 3% DWE diet). After feeding corresponding diets for 2 weeks, hepatitis was induced by giving intraperitoneal injections of D-GalN (650mg/kg BW) 24 h before sacrifice. GalN-induced hepatic damage was manifested by a significant increase in the activities of marker enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP), and the level of TNF-α and oxidative stress. Pretreatment of DWE ameliorated these symtoms. Furthermore, hepatic antioxidative enzyme activities, such as catalase, GSH peroxidase, GSH reductase, and Mn-SOD were slightly or significantly elevated by the pretreatment of DWE. The biochemical observations were supplemented by histological examination of liver sections. Results of this study suggest that dandelion could be used as a potential therapeutic material for treating chemically induced or viral hepatitis.