Picroliv and its components kutkoside and picroside I protect liver against galactosamine-induced damage in rats.

D-Galactosamine (800 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) caused significant decrease in the activities of 5'-nucleotidase, glucose-6-phosphatase and cytochrome P450 and increase in activities of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, succinate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and acid ribonuclease in liver after 24 hr. The levels of RNA, protein and glycogen decreased while total lipids, phospholipids, cholesterol and lipid peroxides increased. It also increased the serum levels of transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin while protein concentration decreased significantly. Oral administration of Picroliv (12 mg/kg/day for 7 days), a standardised iridoid glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa, significantly prevented the biochemical changes in liver and serum of galactosamine-toxicated rats. Kutkoside (12 mg/kg/day for 7 days) also protected against changes in most of the hepatic and serum constituents studied. Another iridoid glycoside from Picroliv, Picroside I, at the same dose level could only prevent toxicant-induced changes in acid phosphatase, phospholipids and lipid peroxides in liver and alkaline phosphatase in serum. Mixture of Picroside I and Kutkoside in the ratio of 1:1.5 at 12 mg/kg dose elicited lesser response than Picroliv.