Antihepatotoxic effect of OGs

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). 

Soyasaponin I (1) inhibited the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity, which was comparable to that of glycyrrhizin (positive control). On the other hand, Kaikasaponin HI (21) was more effective than 1. Compound 21 showed antihepatotoxic activity at less than 100p.g/ml. Furthermore, the highest activity was observed even at lower doses (50, 100pg/ml). Therefore, sophoradiol OGs were concluded to be the anti-hepatotoxic principle in both crude drugs (Abri Heba and Puerariae Flos). 

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