WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants - travolekar.ru

Rhizoma Picrorhizae
transaminases, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, lactate
dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin in
the serum of aflatoxin B1-treated rats (31).
The mechanism of action of an iridoid glycoside extract of the rhizome
on hepatocellular injury and redox status was investigated in a haemorrhage-resuscitation
injury in adult rats (32). Anaesthetized rats were subjected
to haemorrhagic shock by bleeding 30 ml/kg bw. After 60 minutes
of shock, rats were resuscitated with twice the shed blood volume of lactated
Ringer’s solution and were killed 2 hours after resuscitation. Pretreatment
with the extract (12 mg/kg bw), given orally for 7 days, resulted
in a significant decrease in serum aspartate transaminase and -glutamyl
transpeptidase levels. The extract also inhibited the lipid peroxidation and
nitric oxide release that occurred after haemorrhage-resuscitation and altered
the activity of glutathione reductase in a favourable manner. The
extract down-regulated the stress-sensitive transcription factor activator
protein 1 and decreased the level of c-fos mRNA as well as c-jun and c-fos
proteins in liver tissue, indicating that its actions could be mediated
through AP1 and associated signal transduction pathways (32).
Anti-inflammatory activity
Intragastric administration of a 95% ethanol extract of the rhizome to
rats, at a dose of 100.0 mg/kg bw for 3 days, reduced carrageenan-induced
pedal oedema (32, 33). Co-administration of the anti-inflammatory antagonists,
propranolol or timolol with the 95% ethanol extract of the rhizome
reduced its effects.
Choleretic activity
Intragastric administration of a glycoside mixture (picroside-1 and kutkoside
1:1.5, isolated from the rhizome) to guinea-pigs, at a dose of
1.5 mg/kg bw, reduced paracetamol-induced cholestasis by 59.2%; at
3 mg/kg bw, treatment reduced ethynylestradiol-induced cholestasis by
77%. At a dose of 6.0 mg/kg bw the same mixture increased bile flow by
120% (34). Intragastric administration of an extract of the crude drug at a
dose of 2.0 mg/kg bw increased bile secretion (35). Intragastric administration
of an unspecified extract (no further details available) of the rhizome
to guinea-pigs at a dose of 6.0 mg/kg bw for 7 days prior to thiacetamide
administration prevented cholestasis and hepatotoxicity (37).
Diuretic activity
Intraperitoneal administration of an aqueous ethanol extract (1:1) of the rhizome
to rats at a dose of 250.0 mg/kg bw increased the amount of urine produced
over a 4-hour period, in animals preloaded with saline solution (38).
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