• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.230-235
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• 2003

To investigate hepatoprotective activities of the root extract of Rosa davurica, the activities of hepatic enzymes, aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, glutathione S-transferase and epoxide hydrolase in rats intoxicated with bromobenzene were studied. Pretreatment with the methanol extract from the roots of Rosa davurica did not show any significant effects on the increases of the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase, enzymes forming toxic epoxide by bromobenzene. There was no change in glutathione S-transferase activity by Rosa davurica. However, the activity of epoxide hydrolase, and epoxide-removing enzyme, was increased 33% by the administration of 500 mg/kg of the methanol extract. From the results, the protection of Rosa davurica against bromobenzene-induced hepatotoxicity is thought to be via enhancing the activity of epoxide hydrolase, an enzyme removing toxic epoxide rather than through epoxide-producing system.