Chemical Composition and Hepatoprotective Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Extract from Houttuynia cordata Tea

This study was designed to investigate the antioxidant activity, hepatoprotective effect, and phenolic composition of the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) extracted from Houttuynia cordata tea. EAF was shown to exhibit strong ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and scavenging activity against DPPH radical in vitro, and the antioxidant effects were further verified by suppressing CCl4-induced oxidative stress in mouse liver at three tested doses of EAF (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg bw). Pretreatment with EAF (1000 mg/kg bw) prior to CCl4 administration significantly (p < 0.001) decreased the CCl4-elevated levels of serum AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and hepatic MDA in mice and prevented the increases in GSH, SOD, and CAT caused by CCl4. HPLC analysis revealed that three predominantly polyphenolic compounds present in EAF were quercitrin (111.7 mu g/mg), quercetin (43.8 mu g/mg), and hyperoside (29.1 mu g/mg). These results combined with liver histopathology indicate that EAF possesses a significant protective effect against acute hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4, which may be due to the strong antioxidant activity of phenolic components.