Hepatoprotective and Antioxidative Activities of Cornus officinalis against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice

Abstract EN

The fruit of Cornus officinalis Sieb.

et Zucc.

is commonly prescribed in Asian countries as a tonic formula.

In this study, the hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic extracts of the fruit of C.

officinalis (ECO) was investigated in a mouse model of acetaminophen- (APAP-) induced liver injury.

Pretreatment of mice with ECO (100, 250, and 500 mg/kg for 7 days) significantly prevented the APAP (200 mg/kg) induced hepatic damage as indicated by the serum marker enzymes (AST, ALT, and LDH).

Parallel to these changes, ECO treatment also prevented APAP-induced oxidative stress in the mice liver by inhibiting lipid peroxidation (MDA) and restoring the levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and HO-1) and glutathione.

Liver injury and collagen accumulation were assessed using histological studies by hematoxylin and eosin staining.

Our results indicate that ECO can prevent hepatic injuries associated with APAP-induced hepatotoxicity by preventing or alleviating oxidative stress.