ANTIHEPATOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF ICARIIN, A MAJOR CONSTITUENT OF EPIMEDIUM-KOREANUM

In an attempt to identify compounds with antihepatotoxic activity, car bon tetrachloride-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatoc ytes has been adopted as a screening system. Using this screening syst em, an antihepatotoxic compound from the aerial parts of Epimedium kor eanum has been isolated. This compound, icariin, is a flavonol glycosi de. Its antihepatotoxic activity was first evaluated by measuring the release of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase ho m CCl4-intoxicated rat hepatocytes into the culture medium. Icariin si gnificantly reduced the level of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sor bitol dehydrogenase released resulting in a 76% protection from toxici ty at concentration ranges from 1 mu M to 20 mu M. The antihepatotoxic activity of icariin was also estimated by the determination of total cytochrome P-450 content and glutathione-S-transferase activity in the CCl4-intoxicated hepatocytes.