Abri Herba

On the other hand, Abri Herba, the whole plant of Abrus cantoniensis, is used as a folk medicine for infectious hepatitis in China. Its efficacy has been substantiated clinically [23]. Chiang et d. confirmed the efficacy of the total saponin fraction in a pharmacological experimental model [24]. We also reported that the total saponin fractions of this plant were effective for experimental liver injuries in an in vivo model induced by CC14, Fig. (1)... 

Fig. (1). Effects of Extract of Abri Herba in Mice Treated with CC14 Effects of Soyasaponin I (Soya I), total OG-I (OG-I) and total OG-II (OG-II) on CC14 induced liver injury by oral administration. These doses were each 500mg/kg. Each column represents mean of 10 mice. p<0.05, p<0.01. AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase)...

Although OGs are widely distributed in the fabaceous family, fabaceous crude drugs used as anti-hepatitis were limited. Therefore, a qualitical analysis seemed to be important. In order to confirm the constitution of OGs, HPLC profile analyses of the total OG fraction for some crude drugs were performed, Fig. (4). The test samples were classified into two groups one is used as anti-hepatitis (Abri Herba and Puerariae Flos) and the other one is not for such use (the roots of Lupinus polyphyllus and Campylotropis hirtella). 

In order to prove the hypothesis obtained from HPLC profile analysis, antihepatotoxic effects of OGs obtained from Abri Herba were tested [30]. The tested OGs were representative ones, soyasaponin I (soyaspogenol B OG, 1) and kaikasaponin III (sophoradiol OG, 21). The antihepatotoxic activity was studied on liver injury induced by CC14 in primary cultured rat hepatocytes [31], Fig. (5). 

Fig. 1. OJeanene Glyco.sides obtained from Abri Herba... 

---