Abstract:

Objective: To compare the protective effects of different extracts from Dendrobium huoshanense against alcoholinduced
subacute liver injury in mice. Methods: Freeze-dried Dendrobium huoshanense and its different extracts including
water extract, alcohol-soluble extract, alcohol-insoluble extract and crude polysaccharides were prepared. Mouse liver injury
was induced by oral administration of 30% alcohol and different extracts were employed to intervene in the liver injury.
After continuous treatment for 30 days, mouse body weight and liver weight were measured, liver pathological changes were
examined, the contents of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase
(ALP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein
cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined, and the levels of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
(ALDH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malonaldehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH)
were determined. Results: The protective effects of freeze-dried Dendrobium huoshanense, and its water extract and alcoholinsoluble
extract against alcohol-induced subacute liver injury were better than that of alcohol-soluble extract, but lower
than that of crude polysaccharides. Liver tissue damage and steatosis in mice subjected to 30% alcohol were ameliorated by
oral administration with crude polysaccharides, the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, LDL-C, TC and TG in serum were reduced,
the level of HDL-C in serum and the activities of ADH, ALDH, SOD and GSH-Px in liver were enhanced, and the loss of
GSH and the increase of MDA in liver were suppressed. Conclusion: Polysaccharides are the major functional factors in
Dendrobium huoshanense protecting liver tissue from alcohol-induced injury.

Key words: Dendrobium huoshanense, extract fractions, subacute alcoholic liver injury