Abstract
The effects of pine needle extracts on lipid contents and antioxidative enzyme activities in liver of rat were evaluated. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups and fed high fat diets for four weeks. Each group was administered with pine needle extract in the following doses: control, water ; WE-3, hot water extract(3% PN) ; WE-6, hot water extract(6% PN) ; AE-3, acetone extract(3% PN) ; AE-6, acetone extract(6% PN). The results obtained from the experiment were as follows: GOT activities were not significantly different among experimental groups but GPT activities were significantly low in the experimental groups compared to the control group. Liver superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity of pine needle extract administered groups was higher than that of control group. Catalase activities of liver had a similar tendency to SOD activities, but were not significantly different among the groups. Liver TBARS of WE-3 WE and AE-6 groups were slightly lower than those of other groups. Microscopic observation of liver tissue revealed that pine needle extracts increased cellular swelling, which was markedly increased in WE-6 group compared with control group.