OBJECTIVE:To investigate the chemical characters of water-extract of Baqi Lingmao formula(巴芪灵猫方,BQLM formula) and its effects on anti-liver in-jury in model mice and live cells.METHODS:BQLM formula was composed of ten herbal medicines.We determined the contents of alkaloids,saponins,phenolic acids and flavonoid in BQLM formula by UV spectrophotometry.The ac-tive components of alkaloids and phenolic acids in BQLM formula were identified by HPLC chromatog-raphy.The anti-hepatic injury effects of BQLM for-mula were investigated with concanavalin A (Co-nA)-induced hepatitis model of mice,human liver LO2 and HepG2.2.15 cells.RESULTS:BQLM formula (2 and 10 g/kg,orally) sig-nificantly improved the damages of liver tissues and functions caused by ConA in mice,reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells into liver and in-hibited the inflammatory cytokine secretion of in-terferon-y,tumor necrosis factor-α and interleu-kin-6.BQLM formula simultaneously decreased the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase of liver and serum,and recovered the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of liver to normal levels in ConA-induced hepatic-inju-ry mice.The serum of BQLM formula group stimu-lated the human liver LO2 cell proliferation in vitro.Further,BQLM formula obviously promoted the proliferation of normal hepatocytes (LO2 cells) and inhibited the hepatocytes death induced by ConA.It also significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2.2.15 cells and decreased the secretion of HB-sAg and HBeAg in vitro.CONCLUSIONS:BQLM formula has anti-inflamma-tion and anti-hepatitis virus Beffects,and is capable of improving liver injury in vivo and in vitro.