Study on Atractylodes Rhizomes( II ) : Liver-Protective Activites of Atractylodes Rhizome and Atractylodes Rhizome White(Old and Newly-Grown Rhizomes of A. japonica Koidz.) in Mice

출류(朮類)에 관한 연구( II ) : 한국산(韓國産) 창출(蒼朮)과 백출(白朮)의 사염화탄소 간독성(肝毒性)에 대한 보간효과(補肝效果) 비교(比較)

Traditional herbal drugs of Korea, namely, Atractylodes Rhizome(蒼朮) and Atractylodes Rhizome White(白朮) which are derived from and old-grown rhizome and a newly-grown rhizome of Atractylodes japonica Koidz.(Compositae), respectively, were investigated their potential liver-protective activities against hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$ intoxication in mice. Each herbal drug was extracted separately with chloroform, methanol and butanol. No extract of Atractylodes Rhizome showed a significant reduction of the duration of hypnosis produced by hexobarital after $CCl_4$ intoxication in mice. In addition, the the treatments of Atractylodes Rhizome extracts produced no decrease of aspartate aminotransferase(EC 2.6.1.1) activity in serum. However, the methanol extract of Atractylodes Rhizome White exhibited a marked protection from hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$ intoxication in mice. It produced significant reductions of the duration of hypnosis and serum enzyme activity, but no other extract showed liver-protective activity against $CCl_4-induced$ hepatotoxicity.