Experimental Research On The Hepatotoxicity Of Total Bupleurum Saponin Crude Extracts

OBJECTIVE: To research on mice and rats'acute toxicity, hepatotoxicity and evaluation of total saikosaponins crude extracts(the content of saikosaponins is 24.9%)in order to initially lock the toxic substance basis, understand the hepatotoxicity characteristics, damage degree, damage pathway,damage target and provide experimental basis for future establishment related with safety and quality standards.METHODS:The acute toxicity of total saikosaponins crude extracts was tested on mice and rats in accordance with classical acute toxicity test methods; mice were gavaged certain dose crude extracts one time while the rats were gavaged repeatedly, to study the"dosage-time-toxicity"relationship of hepatotoxicity caused by total saikosaponins crude extracts on mice and rats, the death and toxical reaction were observed; the changes of the activity of ALT, AST in serum was detected, the liver, spleen, thymus index were calculated, and the histopathological study was performed; to observe the degree of hepatotoxicity damage to rats and the correlation with oxidative damage mechanism after taking a certain dose of total saikosaponins crude extracts for 45 days.RESULTS: The research shows that total saikosaponins crude extracts can cause significant toxicity on both mice and rats. Given certain dose can even lead to death, which confirmed that the total saikosaponin is mainly toxical material basis of Bupleurum. The total saikosaponins crude extracts gavaged certain dose one time to mice and repeatedly to rats could cause obvious acute hepatic injury and even death, and there were certain time-toxicity and dose-toxicity relationships. Total saikosaponins crude extracts can induce significant hepatotoxicity damage on rats after gavaged for 45 days consecutively, and the channel of hepatic damage is related with the peroxidative damage mechanism.CONCLUSION: Certain dose of total saikosaponins crude extracts could cause obvious acute hepatic injury and even death. The total saikosaponin is mainly toxical material basis of Bupleurum, and the channel of hepatic damage is related with the peroxidative damage mechanism.