One of the most common chemical compounds with antimi- crobial properties, which are often used in the food industry, are preservatives, among which sodium benzoate occupies a prominent place. The use of this xenobiotic in combination with other food additives, in particular with ascorbic acid, will contribute to their interaction in the body with the forma- tion of toxic substances. This makes it necessary to study the mechanisms of their action on tissues and organs, in particular, the the liver. The influence of sodium benzoate (750 mg/kg) and ascorbic acid (30 mg/kg) on liver functional state of rats were studied in the work. The introduction of food additives was administered per os during the 21 days. The functional state of the hepatobiliary system was evaluated by the enzyme activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino- transferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), the levels of total and direct bilirubin, and the thymol test indicator. It was shown that the three-week introduction of sodium benzoate into the body leads to an increase in the enzyme activities of ALT, AST, and GGT in the blood serum, which indicates the hepatotoxic effect of the studied xenobiotic. Along with this, the protein-synthetic function of the liver decreases, as evidenced by an increase in the thymol test. The combined administration of sodium benzoate with ascorbic acid leads to more pronounced hyperfermentemia of ALT, AST, and GGT in blood serum and an increase in the content of total and direct bilirubin. Thus, the introduction of sodium benzoate together with ascorbic acid increases the destructive effect of sodium benzoate on the organs of the hepatobiliary system.