[A comparison of the protective activity of liver injury induced by D-galact-osamine between huangqin-tang and their metabolites by human intestinal bacteria].

Objective: To compare the protective activity of liver injury induced by D-galactosamine (GalN) between Huangqin-Tang and their metabolites by human intestinal bacteria(HIB).

Method: The liver injuries in conventional and pseudo-germfree mice were induced by GalN. After oral administration of Huangqin-Tang and their metabolites mixtures by HIB, the serum transaminase (ALT and AST) activities were detected.

Result: In conventional mice, large and medium doses (20 and 10 g.kg-1) of Huangqin-Tang decoction significantly reduced the increase of serum ALT activity after 18 h GalN treatment. In pseudo-germfree mice, metabolites significantly reduced the ALT levels. However, Huangqing-Tang didn't affect the ALT levels in this kind of mice. To all of the animals, AST levels remained the same after oral Huangqin-tang or their metabolites.

Conclusion: The metabolism by intestinal bacteria plays a role in pharmacological effects of constituents of Chinese herbal medicine. The metabolites of the constituents by intestinal bacteria were the real active components in vivo.