The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extracts of Actinidia rubricaulis (AR) on chronic liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in rats. CCl(4) (20%, 0.5 ml/rat) was given twice a week for 8 weeks, and animals received AR throughout the entire experimental period. AR reduced the elevated levels of serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (sGOT) and glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (sGPT) caused by CCl(4) at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 8. The biochemical data were consistent with those of the histological observations. The AR extract recovered the CCl(4)-induced liver injury and showed antioxidant effect in assays of antioxidant enzyme activity, such as SOD, GSH-Px and GSH-Rd. Based on these results, we suggest that the hepatoprotective effect of the AR is related to its antioxidant activity.