[Protective effects of an ethanolic extract and essential oil of Curcuma kwangsinensis S. against experimental liver lesions in mice].

The ethanolic extract and the essential oil of Curcuma kwangsinensis were found to be effective in lowering the elevated SGPT induced by CCl4, TAA and BSP retention. Histological examination showed that hepatic damages of the extract-and oil-pretreated mice were less than those of the CCl4 control group. The ethanolic extract helped to shorten sodium pentobarbital sleeping time in both normal and CCl4 intoxicated mice. In addition, the essential oil exhibited an inhibitory effect on triglyceride accumulation in mice. The toxicity of the extract and the oil was found to be low: oral LD50 was 86.8 +/- 12g crude drug/kg (ethanolic extract) and 1.10 +/- 0.08g/kg (essential oil).