Abstract

The antioxidant activity of the extracts of Lysimachia clethroides Duby (LC) was assayed by the methods of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS) in vitro. The ethyl acetate (LCEA) and n-butanol extracts (LCBU) of L. clethroides were the higher antioxidant activity in DPPH and ABTS assay. LCEA had the highest antioxidant activity (DPPH: IC₅₀ = 9.02 µg/ml, ABTS: IC₅₀ = 7.43 µg/ml, respectively). Thus, hepatoprotective effect of the extracts of L. clethroides was evaluated on CCl₄-induced acute liver injury mice. Intragastric administration of LCPE (500, 250 and 125 mg/kg body weight per day, respectively), LCEA (600, 300 and 150 mg/kg body weight per day, respectively) and LCBU (600, 300 and 150 mg/kg body weight per day, respectively) on CCL₄-induced acute liver injury in mice for 8 days, the level of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) in each treatment group significantly decreased (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver for each treatment group could significantly decrease (P < 0.001), and the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver only in group of LCBU (150 mg/kg) had no significant increase (P > 0.05), the other treatment groups had significant increase (P < 0.001, P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). The result showed that LC had a high antioxidant activities in vitroand hepatoprotective effect on CCL₄-induced acute liver injury in mice.

Key words: Antioxidant activity, hepatoprotective effect, Lysimachia clethroides Duby.