'Hovenia dulcis reduces lipids, prevents liver damage'
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Kim Sung-hun, center, an Oriental medicine professor at Kyung Hee University, poses with researchers of the school and Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical. The joint research team discovered that a hovenia dulcis leaf extract helps cut the level of lipids in the blood and prevent liver damage. / Courtesy of Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical
By Lee Kyung-min
Research conducted by Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical and Kyung Hee University has shown that a hovenia dulcis leaf extract helps reduce lipids in the blood and prevent liver damage.
Kwang Dong has recently released the results of a one-year joint study which was carried out to analyze the impact of the extract of Oriental raisin tree leaves on blood lipid levels and liver health.
In one experiment, researchers injected the extract of the leaves into rats with high lipid levels in their blood.
They found that the rats’ cholesterol and insulin levels substantially decreased 24 hours after intake, indicating that the extract contributed to preventing lipids from accumulating in the blood.
In another experiment, rats with livers damaged by excessive alcohol intake were injected with the extract daily for six weeks. They showed significant organ improvement after that period. The levels of liver enzyme ALT returned to normal, and the levels of enzymes ADH and ALDH, which are known to break down alcohol, increased.
“Hovenia dulcis leaves have long been used to treat hangovers and other diseases involving the liver. The study’s findings confirm these effects,” Kim Sung-hun, Oriental medicine professor at Kyung Hee University said.
Kim led the joint research that started in August 2014.