Ethanolic Extract of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix Prohibits Oxidative Brain Injury by Psycho-Emotional Stress in Whisker Removal Rat Model

Abstract

Myelophil, an ethanolic extract of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix, has been clinically used to treat chronic fatigue and stress related disorders in South Korea. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of Myelophil on a whisker removal-induced psycho-emotional stress model. SD rats were subjected to whisker removal after oral administration of Myelophil or ascorbic acid for consecutive 4 days. Whisker removal considerably increased total reactive oxygen species in serum levels as well as cerebral cortex and hippocampal regions in brain tissues. Lipidperoxidation levels were also increased in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus regions, and brain tissue injuries as shown in histopathology and immunohistochemistry. However, Myelophil significantly ameliorated these alterations, and depletion of glutathione contents in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus regions respectively. Serum levels of corticosterone and adrenaline were notably altered after whisker removal stress, whereas these abnormalities were significantly normalized by pre-treatment with Myelophil. The NF-κB was notably activated in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus after whisker removal stress, while it was efficiently blocked by pre-treatment with Myelophil. Myelophil also significantly normalizes alterations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and interferon-γ in both gene expressions and protein levels. These results suggest that Myelophil has protective effects on brain damages in psycho-emotional stress, and the underlying mechanisms involve regulation of inflammatory proteins, especially NF-κB modulation.

Genotoxicity Evaluation of an Ethanol Extract Mixture of Astragali Radix and Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix

“…Myelophil is a 30% ethanolic extract consisting of equal parts of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix that are representative herbs used to treat problems of Qi and blood in traditional Korean medicine [ 9 ]. Myelophil is commonly used to maintain Qi-blood homeostasis and to treat fatigue-associated disorders, even in children and pregnant women [ 10 ]. There are subchronic toxicity studies available for Astragali Radix and Myelophil [ 11 , 12 ]; however, no genotoxicity evaluation of Myelophil, Astragali Radix, or Salviae Radix has been conducted to date.…”

An Herbal Formula CGplus Ameliorates Stress-Induced Hepatic Injury in a BALB/c Mouse Model

“…This formula evidenced the hepatoprotective and anti-hepatofibrotic effects in dimethylnitrosamine-induced chronic hepatic injury rat model and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis mouse model Lee et al, 2018). Those three medicinal plants also have been proved to have the hepatoprotective effects or antioxidative property in animal-based experiments (Han et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2014;Kim et al, 2015).…”

Ameliorative effect of Betulinic acid on ageing and scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment in rats

“…The brain sections (4 μm thick) were prepared and stained with haematoxylin and eosin stain. Furthermore, hippocampal CA1 region of the brain was examined under bright field illumination using AHBT-51 microscope (Olympus Vanox Research Microscope, Japan) and photographed Kim et al, 2014 . ( )…”