Extracts of Codonopsis lanceolata Decrease $CCl_4$-Induced Hepatotoxicity on High Fat Diet in Rats

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Codonopsis lanceolata extracts on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)­induced hepatotoxicity in rats fed high, medium or low fat diet. The liver weight was increased not by the level of fat in diet but by administration of CCl₄. Activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly increased by CCl₄, the activities of AST and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were significantly decreased in case of CCl₄ treatment with C. lanceolata extracts. In high fat diet with CCl₄ administration, the content of total lipid in liver was significantly increased, which was significantly decreased by the administration of C. lanceolata extracts. Administration of C. lanceolata water extracts remarkably prevented the tissue injury such as lipid degeneration, infiltration of inflanunatory cells and necrosis caused by CCl₄, but those methanol extracts did not affect histopathological changes of the liver as water extract. The data suggest that intake of C. lanceolata extracts would prevent lipid accumulation and hepatotoxicity induced by high fat diet and CCl₄ abministratim, and the water extract of C. lanceolata is supposed to be more effective than those methanol extract.