Preventive effect of the Taiwan folk medicine Ixeris laevigata var. oldhami on alpha-naphthyl-isothiocyanate and carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats.

The hepatoprotective effects of Ixeris laevigata Sch-Bip. var. oldhami Kitam. (IL) were studied on cholestatic hepatitis induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT, 100 mg/10 mL/kg, in olive oil, i.p.) and acute hepatitis induced by carbon tetrachloride (20% CCl(4)/olive oil, 1.5 mL/kg, i.p.) in rats. Hepatoprotective activity was monitored by estimating the serum transaminases levels and the histopathological changes in the livers of experimental rats. The pretreatment of animals with IL, extract (0.3-2.0 g/kg orally) significantly inhibited the acute elevation of serum transaminases, as well as the hepatotoxin-induced histopathological changes in the livers of the experimental rats.