[Studies on the effect of extracts of several Chinese herbal medicines and other medicines on alcohol dehydrogenase activity].

Objective: To study the effects of water and alcohol extracts of several Chinese herbal medicines and other medicines on alcohol dehydrogenase activity in order to provide enzymology basis on new medicine.
Methods: Water or alcohol extracts of Chinese herbal medicine and other medicine were tested on the effects of alcohol dehydrogenase activity by Valle and Hoch method.
Results: Among them, 8 were found to have the effect of activation on alcohol dehydrogenase. They were water extracts of Amomum kravanh and Pueraria flowers, the alcohol extracts of Pueraria flowers, compound hepatcare Chinese medicine and compound Pueraria medicine, L-cysteine, notoginseng saponin. Others had inhibiting action.
Conclusion: To decrease alcohol concentration in the body through activating the activity of ADH may be one of the mechanisms for some traditional Chinese herbal medicine in neutralizing the effect of alcohol drink.