Protective Activities of Aucubin Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Damage in Mice

ABSTRACT

An iridoid glucoside, aucubin was isolated from Aucuba japonica leaves and its protective activities against CC1₄,-induced hepatotoxicity were evaluated by measuring the duration of hypnosis induced by hexobarbital after CCl₄ challenge (0.2 ml/kg/day, po) and the levels of serum glutamic-oxalacetic (GOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT). The duration of hypnosis for the saline control group, the CCI₄ alone treated group and the aucubin plus CCI4 treated group was 24.8 ± 8.5, 60.5 ± 9.5 and 28.0 ± 3.2 min, respectively. Treatment of mice with aucubin also effectively protected against CCl₄-induced increased serum GOT and GPT activities. It was found that aucubin inhibited hepatic RNA and protein syntheses in vivo. Such inhibitory effects of aucubin might be responsible for protective activities against CCI₄-induced liver damage.