Hepatoprotective standardized EtOH–water extract of the leaves of Ziziphus jujuba

Abstract

The hepatoprotective activity of the EtOH-water extract of Ziziphus jujuba leaves was evaluated against CCl₄-induced hepatic damage in mice. The EtOH-water extract significantly alleviated liver damage as indicated by the decreased levels of serum ALT and AST and the decreased MDA content, the increased levels of SOD, GSH and GSH-Px, and the reduced pathological tissue injury induced by CCl₄. A quantitative analysis of fifteen major constituents (1-15) of the EtOH-water extract of the leaves of Z. jujuba was conducted by HPLC-DAD. Based on our research results, it can be concluded that the EtOH-water extract of the leaves of Z. jujuba is efficacious for prevention and treatment of CCl₄-induced hepatic injury in mice. Flavonoids might be the active ingredients responsible for the biological and pharmacological activities towards hepatoprotection.