Antioxidant and hepatoprotective actions of the medicinal herb Artemisia campestris from the Okinawa Islands

The antioxidant action of Artemisia campestris was examined in vitro and in vivo. A water extract of A. campestris showed a strong scavenging action o f 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl and superoxide anion radic als. When the extract was given intraperitoneally to mice prior to carbon t etrachloride (CCl4) treatment, CCl4-induced liver toxicity, as seen by an e levation of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase a ctivities, was significantly reduced. Depression of the elevation of serum enzyme levels after CCl4-treatment was also observed by oral administration of the extract. In that case, CCl4-derived lipid peroxidation in the liver was decreased by the extract treatment. These results suggest that the ext ract of A. campestris scavenges radicals formed by CCl4 treatment resulting in protection against CCl4-induced liver toxicity.