Procyanidins extracted from the lotus seedpod ameliorate age-related antioxidant deficit in aged rats.

The alleviative effect of procyanidins extracted from the lotus seedpod (LSPC) on oxidative stress in various tissues was evaluated by determining the activities of the antioxidant enzymes and the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in heart, liver, lung, kidney, skeletal muscle, and serum in aged rats. Aging led to antioxidant deficit in various tissues in this study, which is confirmed by remarkable increased lipid peroxidation, whereas the change patterns of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and GSH were diverse in various tissues of aged rats. LSPC treatment (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) modified the activity of SOD, CAT, and GPx as well as GSH content alteration in these tissues, which reversed the age-related antioxidant deficit in aged rats. However, the regulatory patterns on the activities of these enzymes and GSH content by LSPC treatment were different according to the tissues in aged rats.