Antihepatotoxic actions of papyriogenins and papyriosides, triterpenoids of Tetrapanax papyriferum leaves.

Antihepatotoxic actions of the papyriogenins and papyriosides from Tetrapanax papyriferum leaves were examined utilizing carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- and galactosamine (GalN)-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Remarkable antihepatotoxic effects were observed with papyriogenin B, papyriogenin A, propapyriogenin A2, papyriogenin C, 11-dehydropropapyriogenin A2, 16-epi-saikogenin C and propapyriogenin A1 in the CCl4-induced cytotoxicity assay, and papyriogenin A, propapyriogenin A1 and propapyriogenin A2 were active in preventing GalN-induced cytotoxicity although these triterpenoids were rather cytotoxic at a higher dose in the latter assay. Structure-activity relationship is discussed.