Hepatoprotective effects of arctium lappa on carbon tetrachloride- and acetaminophen-induced liver damage

The root ofArctium lappa Linné (A. lappa) (Compositae), a perennial herb, has been cultivated for a long time as a popular vegetable. In order to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of A. lappa, male ICR mice were injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄,32 μl/kg, i.p.) or acetaminophen (600 mg/kg, i.p.). A. lappa suppressed the SCOT and SGPT elevations induced by CC 14 or acetaminophen in a dose-dependent manner and alleviated the severity of liver damage based on histopathological observations. In an attempt to elucidate the possible mechanism(s) of this hepatoprotective effect, glutathione (GSH), cytochrome P-450 (P-450) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were studied. A. lappa reversed the decrease in GSH and P-450 induced by CCl₄ and acetaminophen. It was also found that A. lappa decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in CCl₄ or acetaminophen-intoxicated mice. From these results, it was suggested that A. lappa could protect the liver cells from CCl₄ or acetaminophen-induced liver damages, perhaps by its antioxidative effect on hepatocytes, hence eliminating the deleterious effects of toxic metabolites from CCl₄ or acetaminophen.