– 488 – Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines 2014, 12(7): 0488 0494 Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines Hepatoprotective activity of Gentiana veitchiorum Hemsl. against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in mice ZHANG Zhi-Feng 1 , LIU Yuan 1 , LU Lu-Yang 1 , LUO Pei 2* 1 Ethnic Pharmaceutical Institute of Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, China; 2 State Key Laboratory for Quality Research of Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau, China Available online 20 July 2014 [ABSTRACT] AIM: To study the hepatoprotective effect of methanol extract of Gentiana veitchiorum (MGV) against CCl4-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in mice. METHOD: The acute hepatic model was developed by injection of 20% CCl 4 in mice. ICR mice were divided into six groups, in- cluding control, CCl4, CCl4 + silymarin, and CCl4 + MGV (100, 200, and 400 mg·kg –1 ) groups. Hepatic enzymes including AST, ALT and ALP levels in serum, and antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, CAT and GPX activity in liver tissue, were determined. Histo- pathological examination and Western blot analysis were performed. R ES ULTS : Oral administration of MGV at 200 and 400 mg·kg –1 for 15 days dose-dependently inhibited the serum elevations of AST, ALT, and ALP, and recovered the reduction of SOD, CAT, and GPX in liver tissue. Hematoxylin and eosin staining examina- tion performed in liver tissues suggested that MGV treatment ameliorated histopathological changes in CCl 4-induced mice. West- ern blotting analysis implied that MGV increased HO-1 expression and recovered TNF-α alternation. CO NC LUS IO N: G. veitchiorum can protect the liver against CCl4-induced damage in mice, and this hepatoprotective effect was due at least in part to its ability through scavenging CCl 4-associated free radical activities. The study provided in vivo evidence that G. veitchiorum can be used as a safe, cheap, and effective agent to reduce acute liver damage, supporting its folk medicine use. [KEY WORDS] Gentiana veitchiorum ; Hepatoprotective effect; Antioxidant enzymes; Western blot [CLC Number] R965 [Document code] A [Article ID] 2095-6975(2014)07-0488-07 Introduction The liver is a vital organ of the human body. It performs the normal metabolic homeostasis of the body, as well as biotransformation, detoxification, and excretion of many en- dogenous and exogenous compounds, including pharmaceu- tical and environmental chemicals. Hepatic damage is usually associated with the disorder of its detoxifying functions [1-2] . [Received on] 29-Jan.-2013 [Research funding] This project was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program in the 12th Five year Plan of China (No. 2012BAI27B07), and the Macau Science and Technology Develop- ment Fund (No. 073/2011/A3). [*Corresponding author] LUO Pei: Assistant Prof., Tel: 86-853-63589159, E-mail: Pluo@must.edu.mo These authors have no conflict of interest to declare. Copyright © 2014, China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved Liver dysfunction is caused mostly due to exposure to toxic chemicals, and certain drugs and environmental pollutants, and it has been increasing for the last few decades [3] . Efforts have been made to search for effective hepatoprotective agents. However, no effective hepatoprotective therapies are available until now. Plant-based drugs play a major role in the treatment of hepatic disorders. In the absence of reliable hepatoprotective drugs in modern medicine, a number of me- dicinal plants and their formulations are used to cure hepatic disorders in traditional medicine [4] . Gentiana veitchiorum Hemsl., known as “bangjianwen- bao” in Tibetan, belongs to the family Gentianaceae. It is used in traditional Tibetan medicine for the treatment of liver jaun- dice with damp-heat pathogen, as well as for headache and chronic pharyngitis [5] . People also crushed this plant for tea or soup cooking, alone, or sometimes with other traditional plants. Phytochemical research has revealed that G. veitch i- orum contains organic acids, gentiopicroside, isoorientin 3'-methyl ether, isovitexin, isoorientin, and many other con-