Mi. Thabrew et al., PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF OSBECKIA-OCTANDRA AGAINST GALACTOSAMINE AND TERT-BUTYL HYDROPEROXIDE-INDUCED HEPATOCYTE DAMAGE, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 49(2), 1995, pp. 69-76
Ayurvedic and other 'traditional' medical practitioners in Sri Lanka u
se the mature leaves of the plant Osbeckia octandra for its hepatoprot
ective properties. In this study the effects of an aqueous extract of
Osbeckia octandra against injury induced by D-galactosamine and tert-b
utyl hydroperoxide (TBH) were investigated in freshly isolated rat hep
atocytes. The plant extract (500 mu g/ml) significantly reduced the in
hibition of protein synthesis (as assessed by the incorporation of C-1
4-leucine into protein) in hepatocytes incubated for 1 h with 10 mM ga
lactosamine by a mean of 25.6 +/- 3.6% and decreased the release of ce
llular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST
) enzyme activities into the medium by 55.3% and 32.8%, respectively.
With TBH, the plant extract decreased lipid peroxidation (estimated fr
om malondialdehyde formation) by a mean of 29.9 +/- 1.1% together with
a 46.8% and 54.7% decrease in the release of LDH and AST, respectivel
y into the incubation medium. Significant protection was also obtained
when the Osbeckia extract was added to the incubation medium up to 30
min after pre-exposure of the hepatocytes to either galactosamine or,
to a lesser extent, TBH. The results support the use of Osbeckia as a
hepatoprotective agent.