Effect of the Ethanol Extract of Lycium chinense on the Oxygen Free Radical and Alcohol Metabolizing Enzyme Activities in Rats

흰쥐에 있어서 구기자 알콜 추출물이 Oxygen Free Radical 및 Alcohol 대사효소 활성에 미치는 영향

To investigate an effect of the ethanol extract of Lycium chinense(EELC) on the activities of enzymes scavenging oxygen free radicals or detoxicating alcohol. The ground Lycium chinense was extracted with 30% edible ethanol and then diluted with 6% ethanol to contain 2% EELC(w/v). Three different groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats had taken a drink EELC, ethanol(ETH) or water(control), respectively for 2 months. At the end of experimental period, the animals were sacrificed and obtained the following findings. The EELC-treated animals showed the highest activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase among three groups. The activities of xanthine oxidase and cytochrome p-450 from EELC treatment group were lower than those from ETH-treated group. However, the activity of superoxide dismutase was higher in the EELC-treated group than the ETH-treated(p<0.005). Furthermore, hepatic alcohol or aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase were significantly higher in EELC-treated animals than in ETH-treated those. The activity of glutathione S-transferase in liver was appeared the orderly higher value in EELC, ETH and control-treated group. As the result, EELC may affect the reduction of oxygen free radical production and help the detoxication of ethanol.