Effect of Angelica gigas Nakai extract on hepatic damage in rats

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of decursin and decursinol angelate (D/DA) isolated from Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN). Methods: The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity of D/DA was assessed in a rat model using blood tests, western blotting, and histopathological analyses to identify the pharmaceutical effects of D/DA on liver enzymes and liver morphology. Results: The DPPH scavenging activity of D/DA was 47.11 µg/mL. Administration of D/DA to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated rats led to a decrease (13.59 %) in the total liver mass of control rats. Decursin and decursinol angelate also lowered the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), but increased the concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, including catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Histological examination revealed that D/DA also reduced hepatocellular damage in the rats. Conclusion: D/DA from AGN has significant anti-hepatotoxic and antioxidant activities, and thus, is a potential herbal drug for treating liver damage.