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Abstract
The in vivo antioxidant mechanism of Sheng Mai San (SMS), a compound formulation in traditional Chinese medicine comprising Panax ginseng, Schisandra chinensis and Ophiopogon japonicus, was investigated using a rat model of CCl 4 hepatotoxicity. SMS-crude extract and its aqueous or chloroform fraction were found to protect against CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity. The hepatoprotection afforded by SMS or its fraction pretreatment was associated with an enhanced hepatic glutathione (GSH) status, as indicated by increases in hepatic GSH levels and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities, as well as a decrease in susceptibility of hepatic homogenates to peroxide-induced GSH depletion. These results suggest that the in vivo antioxidant mechanism of SMS may involve the facilitation of hepatic GSH regeneration under increased oxidative stress conditions.