Antihepatotoxic activity of Rosmarinus tomentosus in a model of acute hepatic damage induced by thioacetamide

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.