Ergogenic Capacity of a 7-Chinese Traditional Medicine Extract in Aged Mice

Jian-Rong Zhou, Mohamed Aly M. Morsy, Kiyoshi Kunika, Kazumi Yokomizo, Takeshi Miyata

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minya, Egypt.
Department of Presymptomatic Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Division of Science and Medicine, Institute of International Kampo Co. Ltd., Nihonmatsu, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/cm.2012.34032                

Abstract

The ergogenic properties of a 7-Chinese traditional medicine water extract (Ligustrum lucidum ait, LLA), which is composed of the essences of Lycii fructus, Crataegi fructus, Phyllanthi fructus, Chrysanthemi flos, Coicis semen, Ganoderma lucidum, and Zizyphi fructus, were studied using aged mice. Mice were chronically (one month) administered LLA (0.1% and 1%) in the drinking water. Mice pre-treated with LLA showed a good appetite; however, they exhibited a lower rate of body weight increase compared to control mice. In mice subjected to the rotarod test, 1% LLA treatment provided effective adaption to fatigue and significantly increased the duration of mice on the rotarod. In locomotor activity test, 1% LLA potentiated mice mobility and significantly increased rearing behavior. In the antioxidant experiment, 1% LLA treatment significantly increased superoxide dismutase activity in the spleen and liver glutathione levels. These findings suggest that LLA may be utilized as an antifatigue agent, which may function through its antioxidant activity.

Keywords

Antifatigue; Antioxidant; Chinese Traditional Medicine

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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