[Protective effects of the fractions extracted from the callus of Acer nikoense Maxim. on carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury].

The decoctions extracted from the bark and leaf of Acer nikoense Maxim. (AN) have been used as a folk medicine for eye-wash and hepatic disease. As previously reported, the methanol extract from the bark of AN and the fractions of the methanol extract have protective effects for liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats. In this study, protective effects of the fractions extracted from the callus of AN were investigated on CCl4-induced liver injury in rat. The active principles for the protection of CCl4-induced liver injury were recognized in a fraction (EF 3-3) obtained by using silica gel chromatography (solvent: CHCl3-MeOH-H2O). The components were further fractionated by silica gel chromatography followed by gel filtration (solvent: CHCl3-MeOH). In addition, the mechanism of the protective action against liver injury induced by CCl4 was also examined. The fractions with protective effects in vivo showed the inhibitory effects on CCl4-dependent lipid peroxidation in microsomal fraction in vitro.