PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF TARAXASTERYL ACETATE FROM INULA-BRITANNICA SUBSPJAPONICA ON EXPERIMENTAL HEPATITIS IN-VIVO

The survival rate for acute hepatic failure induced by Propionibacteri um acnes and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was increased when a hot water e xtract from the flowers of Inula britannica L. subsp. japonica Kitam. was injected into the experimental hepatitis mice, and anti-hepatitis substances could be extracted with CHCl3. The CHCl3 extract from I. br itannica was fractionated and anti-hepatitis fractions IB-3-2 and IB-3 -3 were obtained. IB-3-3 had the most potent antihepatitis activity am ong the fractions but further purification of the active compound was not achieved because of the low yield. IB-3-2 contained only one subst ance which was identified to be taraxasteryl acetate by H-1- and C-13- NMR and MS. Taraxasteryl acetate showed potent preventive activity aga inst acute hepatic failure induced by P. acnes and LPS in a dose-depen dent manner, however deacetylation and modification of the olefinic bo nds significantly decreased the anti-hepatitis activity of taraxastery l acetate. Taraxasteryl acetate also inhibited the increment of plasma transaminase on acute hepatic failure induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or D-galactosamine. From a histological study it appeared that degeneration and necrosis, which were observed in the liver from CCl4 mice, were not found in the liver cells from taraxasteryl acetate tre ated mice. These results indicates that taraxasteryl acetate shows pre ventive effects on experimental hepatitis caused by either immunologic ally induced injuries or hepatotoxic chemicals.