SALVIA VIRGATA JACQ. AND SILIBUM MARIANUM L. GAERTN DISPLAY SIGNIFICANT IRON-CHELATING ACTIVITY

In some disease like thalassemia major long-term transfusion alone inexorably produces the clinical problem of iron overload. Danshen and Milk thistle has been widely prescribed in traditional folk medicine for treatment of liver diseases. In this study we selected eight medicinal plants whose efficiencies had been previously demonstrated in treatment of liver diseases in ancient medicine were studied for their in vitro chelating activity. After preliminary evaluation of these plants in vitro condition, two most efficient plants were nominated for further evaluation in in vivo condition on iron-overloaded mice. The extracts with high iron chelation activity were injected intraperitoneally. Liver sections were stained by haematoxylin and eosin and Perls’ stain. Danshen and Milk thistle had maximum iron chelation activity at in vitro condition. The iron-overloaded mice treated with the extracts showed a significant decrease in plasma iron level and in plasma Fe³⁺ content. Perl̕ stain improved sensitivity of the test significantly in order to determine the low amount of deposited iron in the liver of iron- overloaded mice treated by the extract. As evidenced by H&E staining, lever sections treated with the extracts displayed a significant decrease in extent of necrotic hepatocytes, fibrous tissues and pseudo lobules. Danshen and Milk thistle extracts exhibited satisfactory potency regarding chelating of excessive iron in iron-overloaded mice