Protective effects of Chinese herbs on D-galactose-induced oxidative damage.

A mixture of traditional Chinese herbs ('FTDA') was found to improve several oxidation-related biomarkers in D-galactose-induced mimetic aging mice. FTDA consists of seven herbal components: Cuscutae Semen, Schisandrae Fructus, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Lonicerae Flos, Nelumbinis Semen, Angelica Radix and Poria, and is routinely used for treating mice with D-galactose-induced oxidative damage. Measurements of antioxidant status, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant status (TAS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were made on blood, brain and liver tissue collected from animals after 60 days of treatment with D-galactose subcutaneous injections. High-dose, medium-dose and control groups exhibited higher levels of SOD, GSH-Px and TAS in their blood, as well as lower levels of serum MDA activity, compared with the D-galactose group. In the liver, all three experimental and PBS groups demonstrated significant increases in SOD activity and a decrease in MDA activity. The MDA activity decreased in medium-dose, high-dose and PBS groups, while medium-dose and PBS groups demonstrated increased SOD activity compared with that seen in the brain. These results support the efficacy of FTDA in improving the antioxidant status of D-galactose-induced mimetic aging mice.