Effects of methanol extract of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense and its principle, hispidulin-7-O-neohesperidoside on hepatic alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and lipid peroxidation in ethanol-treated rats.

Effects of the methanol extract of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense and hispidulin 7-O-neohesperidoside isolated from the plant on hepatic alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and lipid peroxidation were studied in rats treated with ethanol. Rats treated with 10% alcohol solution for 6 weeks were orally administered with 250 or 500 mg of methanol extract or 10 or 20 mg of hispidulin 7-O-neohesperidoside per kg body weight daily during the last week of ethanol treatment. The administration of the methanol extract of herbal plant and hispidulin 7-O-neohesperidoside in ethanol-treated rats significantly enhanced the activities of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase, microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system and aldehyde dehydrogenase in a dose-dependent manner. The extract and the compound decreased hepatic lipid peroxidation along with an increase in hepatic content of reduced glutathione. The methanol extract and hispidulin 7-O-neohesperidoside of C. japonicum var. ussuriense also increased the activity of glutathione reductase, but had no effect on gamma-glutamylcysteine synthase. The results suggest that C. japonicum var. ussuriense may alleviate alcoholic toxicity by enhancing ethanol oxidation as well as inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and hispidulin 7-O-neohesperidoside is one of the active substances responsible for the protective effects of this plant. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.