Effect of lemongrass oil and citral on drug-metabolizing enzymes and antioxidative system in rat livers

• Main Authors: Chun-Hua Chang, 張峻華
• Other Authors: Hsien-Tsung Yao
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/4bmt7f

碩士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 營養學系碩士班 === 102 === Cymbopogon citratus, generally known as lemongrass which is a perennial grass belongs to the grass or Poaceae family. Many studies indicated that lemongrass had great anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anticonvulsant, repel insects and antifungal activities. Lemongrass oil (LO) is collected from its leaf distillation and it had antioxidant and anticancer activities. However, the effect of lemongrass oil on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes and oxidative stress is still not clear. In this study, we identified the major components, citral and myrcene, the two major components in lemongrass oil. Lemongrass oil contained about 60% of citral. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of LO and citral on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes and oxidative stress in rat livers. 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups, they were control, 200 LO, 400 LO, and Citral (This dose is relevant to the citral level in 400 LO group). Results show that feeding with LO or citral for two weeks had no effect on aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransaminase(ALT) activities. However, LO and citral dramatically reduced liver ROS, lipid peroxide and GSSG contents. In addition, LO and citral decreased CYP3A activity and increased GRx, CYP1A1, CYP4A activities in liver. In conclusion, LO may change hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes and reduce oxidative stress in rats.