Choleotropic Activity of Cistus salviifolius Extract

Introduction. It is known that a number of species of the genus Cistus are used in Mediterranean folk medicine in the form of infusions and herbal teas to treat digestive problems and acute respiratory virus infection. Empirical data have accumulated that sage incense extract improves the condition of patients with chronic cholestatic liver diseases (CLDs). Currently, only ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the generally accepted drug for the treatment of most CLDs.Aim. Comparative efficacy evaluation of Cistus salviifolius extract (at 2 doses levels) compared to the reference medicine ursodeoxycholic acid Ursosan® (at a therapeutic dose) in intragastric administration to mice in a cholestasis model induced by intragastric administration of alphanaphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) oil solution during 20 Days.Materials and methods. The cholestase model was induced by intragastric administration of an alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate oil solution to mice during 20 days. The following biochemical parameters were determined in the serum of experimental animals: alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, total cholesterol, bilirubin, triglycerides, albumins. Histological analysis was performed on the liver and gallbladder.Results and discussion. Cistus salviifolius extract at a therapeutic dose of 253 mg/kg and at a dose exceeding the therapeutic dose (506 mg/kg), as well as the reference medicine of Ursodeoxycholic acid Ursosan® at a therapeutic dose of 150 mg/kg reduced the level of aspartate aminotransferase in serum increased after ANIT administration to a level of the control group without pathology. Deviations of other parameters from the control group (alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, total cholesterol, bilirubin, triglycerides, albumins) were statistically insignificant. Histological analysis of the liver and gallbladder demonstrated that the severity of ballooning degeneration and cholecystitis were significantly reduced in groups which was treated by Cistus salviifolius extract at two doses, but not in the group with reference drug. The severity of cholestasis was poorly influenced by Cistus salviifolius extract in contrast to ursodeoxycholic acid, which was more effective for this pathology.Conclusion. The conducted study against the background of reports on the effectiveness of the Cistus salviifolius extract in clinical practice allows to recommend its use as a component of combined therapy of a patient with hepatobiliary pathology and as a pharmacoprevention in healthy people in the presence of risk factors.