: Eupatorium adenophorum leaves cause
hepatotoxicity and cholestasis in rats. The hepatotoxicant
has been characterized as 9-oxo-10,11-
dehydroageraphorone (ODA), a cadinene sesquiterpene.
Oral administration of ODA, mixed in feed to
rats, caused jaundice in 24 h. The liver of the intoxicated
animals had focal areas of hepatocellular necrosis, proliferation,
and dilation of bile ducts with degenerative
changes in the lining epithelium. There was marked
increase in the conjugated form of plasma bilirubin
and in the activities of the enzymes glutamate oxaloacetate
transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase,
alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase,
g-glutamyltranspeptidase, glutamate dehydrogenase,
and 50-nucleotidase. The histopathological lesions in
liver and biochemical profile of marker enzymes show
that ODA induced hepatotoxicity and cholestasis in
rats. This is the first report on the toxicity of a cadinene
sesquiterpene in rats.
