M. Galisteo et al., Antihepatotoxic activity of Rosmarinus tomentosus in a model of acute hepatic damage induced by thioacetamide, PHYTOTHER R, 14(7), 2000, pp. 522-526
R, tomentosus is a vegetal species closely related to the culinary rosemary
(R, officinalis), a plant reported to contain antihepatotoxic agents. A dr
ied ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Rosmarinus tomentosus (Lamiaceae
) and its major fraction separated by column chromatography (fraction F19)
were evaluated for antihepatotoxic activity in rats with acute liver damage
induced by a single oral dose of thioacetamide, Silymarin was used as a re
ference antihepatotoxic substance.
Pre-treatment with R, tomentosus ethanol extract, fraction F19 or silymarin
significantly reduced the impact of thioacetamide toxicity on plasma prote
in and urea levels as well as on plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine
aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
activities compared with thioacetamide-treated animals (group T), Pre-treat
ment with R, tomentosus ethanol extract significantly reduced the impact of
thioacetamide damage on alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpepti
dase activities compared with group T. Silymarin administration significant
ly reduced alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activitie
s compared with group T, Fraction F19 administration reduced only alkaline
phosphatase activity compared with group T,
According to these data, R, tomentosus extract shows promising antihepatoto
xic activity, suggesting the need to isolate the chemical principles respon
sible for this activity and to study this activity in a model of thioacetam
ide-induced cirrhosis, Copyright (C) 2000 John Whey & Sons, Ltd.