The hepatoprotective activity of kinsenoside from Anoectochilus formosanus

Abstract

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) causes chronic hepatitis, featuring an increase in hepatic hydroxyproline, spleen weight and serum GPT levels and a decrease in plasma albumin levels. Crude extracts of fresh whole plants of Anoectochilus formosanus showed inhibition of chronic hepatitis induced by CCl4 in mice. Bioactivity-guided fractionation and spectroscopic analysis revealed that kinsenoside was the most active compound. In an in vitro study, the LD50 values for H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in BALB/c normal liver cells were significantly higher after kinsenoside pretreatment than after vehicle alone, further confirming that kinsenoside shows significant antihepatotoxic activity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.