本研究目的乃是探討肝疾患常用中藥方劑之抗氧化活性。我們對12種常用保肝中藥方劑，探討它們消除xanthine/xanthine oxidase誘發之superoxide anion(O2-)之活性，及抑制FeCl2引起肝細胞脂質過氧化之効力。進一步評估它們抑制CCl4誘發大白鼠急性肝炎及肝臟細胞脂質過氧化之作用。結果發現，十二種中藥方劑皆對superoxide anion有一定清除作用，且除了補中益氣湯外皆對FeCl2所誘發肝細胞過氧化脂質之産生有明顯抑制作用。另一方面，動物實驗顯示，十二個方劑中有八個方劑明顯地抑制CCl4誘發大白氧急性肝炎及質過氧化。此脂質過氧化的抑制作用與其肝功能改善程度成正比。十二個方劑中以茵陳蒿湯、大柴胡湯及龍膽瀉肝湯之抗氧化作用最爲明顯。此三者在臨床上常被用於急性肝炎之治療，因此我們推測抗氧化作用可能爲中藥治療急性肝炎之重要機轉之一，其重要性值得進一步探討。

The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-oxidative effects of Chinese herb drug prescriptions which are used in treatment of liver disease. We investigated the scavenging effect of twelve kinds of herb drug prescriptions on superoxide induced by xanthine/xanthine oxidase and their inhibitory activities on the lipid peroxidation of liver homogenate induced by ferrous chloride (FeC12). Furthermore, we evaluated their suppressing activities on the acute hepatitis and lipid peroxidation of liver cells induced by CCl4 in vivo. The results showed that all of the herb drug prescriptions have significant scavenging effect on superoxide anion induced by xanthine-xanthine oxidase. Except Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang, the others also have significantly inhibitory activities on the production of lipid peroxide from rat liver cells induced by FeCl2 in vitro. On the other hand, in animal study, eight of twelve herb drug prescriptions show evidently inhibitory activities on the acute hepatitis and lipid peroxidation induced by carbon tetrachloride(CCl4). Their inhibitory activities on lipid peroxidation were correlated with the improved rate of liver function. Among twelve herb drug prescriptions, Inchenhau-tang, Tachaihu-Tang, and Rondansegan-Tang have most great anti-oxidative effects. These three herb drug prescriptions are mostly used in treatment of acute hepatitis. These results suggest that anti-oxidative effect may have an important role for Chinese herb drug prescriptions in the treatment of acute hepatitis and is worthful to be further studied.