Antioxidant characteristics and hepatoprotective effects of a formula derived from Maydis stigma, Nelumbo nucifera and Taraxacum officinale against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic damage in rats.

The hepatoprotective effects of a water extract formula (WEF) derived from three selected TCM herbs (i.e. Corn silk (Maydis stigma), lotus leaf (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)) were apprised by the antioxidant activities and by the decay of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced rats. The results indicated that the WEF had higher contents of total phenolic and flavonoids, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging ability, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). The animal experiments revealed that the WEF administration could lower malondialdehyded (MDA) level, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) activities, resume triglyceride (TG) and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels, and reform or resume super oxide dismutase (SOD) content as well as improve peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRd) and catalase (CAT) activities in CCl4-induced rats. The histological inspections of liver demonstrated that CCl4 enlarged the extents of bile duct proliferation, necrosis, fibrosis, steatosis and fatty vacuolation all round liver, but the first three can be ameliorated by WEF. Based on these evidences from this study, the WEF by regulating the related antioxidant enzymes of liver to exhibit hepatoprotective effects was confirmed and it can be use as a substitute for the silymarin.