Effects and mechanism of the herbal extract on ethanol metabolism.

Kim, M.-H., Park, C.-K., Kwon, O.-H. and Pek, L.-H.

Abstract
A herbal extract was prepared and administered in varying doses to laboratory rats which had been starved for 24 hours. Control rats were given equal volumes of water. One hour later, all rats were given ethanol at dosage rates proportional to their body weight, and blood or urine samples were collected at intervals for analysis. In other experiments, similarly treated rats were killed at varying times after treatment and the alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity levels in their livers were determined. It was found that the ethanol concentrations in the blood and urine of the rats given the herbal preparation declined much more rapidly than was the case with the control rats. The results of the liver enzyme assays indicated that the rapid consumption of high concentrations of ethanol temporarily inhibits these enzymes and that the herbal extract reduces the degree and duration of this inhibition in the treated rats.
Keywords : alcohol aldehyde dehydrogenase drug enzymic activity ethanol metabolism