BACKGROUND

This study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of an extract from Shinzami, a variety of purple sweet potato, in rats injured by hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R).

RESULTS

Pretreatment with Shinzami extract decreased the aspirate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase serum levels in our hepatic I/R rat model. The glutathione level and superoxide dismutase activity level were significantly higher in the rats pretreated with the Shinzami extract compared with the hepatic I/R rats, and the glutathione peroxidase activity level was higher in pretreated rats. The total anthocyanins extracted from Shinzami, however, only increased the superoxide dismutase activity level in the hepatic I/R rats. Rats pretreated with the Shinzami extract or anthocyanins demonstrated attenuated hepatic pathological changes, such as hepatic distortion, haemorrhage, necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration compared with the hepatic I/R control rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Shinzami extract and anthocyanins have a hepatoprotective effect on the liver damage induced by hepatic I/R by improving antioxidant status. Furthermore, the Shinzami extract may have a more potent effect on the antioxidant status compared with the Shinzami anthocyanins alone.