Abstract:

In the present study, sixty mice were randomly divided into six groups, namely normal, model, bifendate positive control and three crude corn peptides (CCP)-treated groups. Firstly, the CCP-treated groups were by gavage administered respectively with the doses of 180, 360 and 720 mg /kg bw of CCP, the positive control group was by gavage administered with the dose of 200 mg/kg bw of bifendate, and the normal and model groups were simultaneously received the same amount of saline once a day for 10 days. Then other mice except the normal group were administered by intraperitoneal injection with 700 mg/kg bw of D-galactosamine (D-GalN). Finally, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities in serum, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in liver, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels in liver of all mice were measured by the detection kits according to the manufacturer’s protocols, and the pathological characteristics of liver were observed under light microscopy. The results showed that compared with the model group, the administration of 720 mg/kg bw of CCP significantly reduces the ALT and AST activities (p＜0.01) in serum and the MDA lever (p＜0.01) in liver, and successfully promotes SOD activity (p＜0.01) and the GSH level (p＜0.05) in liver, whose hepatoprotective effect is close to 200 mg/kg bw of bifendate. The microscopic examination also indicated that the morphology of livers in the high-dose CCP group and the positive control group are similar to that in the normal group. In conclusion, CCP possesses potent hepatoprotective effects on D-GalN-induced liver damage in mice.

Key words: dual enzyme method, corn peptides, D-galactosamine (D-GalN), liver damage, hepatoprotective effects