Free radical scavenging activity of the Japanese herbal medicine toki-shakuyaku-san (TJ-23) and its effect on superoxide dismutase activity, lipid peroxides, glutamate, and monoamine metabolites in aged rat brain.

The free radical scavenging activity of the Japanese herbal medicine, Toki-Shakuyaku-San (TJ-23; TSUMURA & Co., Tokyo, Japan), was examined using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. TJ-23 scavenged 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH), superoxide (O2-), and hydroxyl radicals (.OH) dose-dependently. It also diminished carbon centered radicals (.C) generated by oxidative stress and inhibited thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) formation in mouse cortex homogenate. In addition, the effect of TJ-23 on the concentration of neurotransmitters and TBARS formation, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum of the aged rat brain was studied. The concentrations of the metabolites of monoamines, glutamate and glutamine were decreased by 4 weeks of oral administration of TJ-23. The SOD activity of mitochondrial fraction was increased and TBARS formation was significantly suppressed. These results suggest that TJ-23 has an antioxidant action and would have a prophylactic effect against free radical-mediated neurological diseases associated with aging.