Clinical significance of redox effects of Kampo formulae, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine: comprehensive estimation of multiple antioxidative activities

Abstract

To clarify the clinical significance of the redox-controlling effects of Kampo, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, we determined the scavenging activities of various reactive oxygen species in clinically used Kampo formulae using an electron spin resonance-based technique. Formulae containing Rhei Rhizoma (i.e., mashiningan and daiobotanpito) showed high scavenging activity against the alkoxyl radical, and crude extract quantity was significantly correlated with scavenging activity. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was positively correlated with the quantity of Zingiberis Rhizoma. Strong hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was also found in formulae containing both Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix, a widely used anti-inflammatory combination. Formulae containing a clinically common combination of Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, and Phellodendri Cortex induced high superoxide scavenging activity. Singlet oxygen scavenging activity was high in formulae containing Bupleuri Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix. In contrast, formulae containing Rehmanniae Radix showed generally low reactive oxygen species scavenging activities, and the quantity of Rehmanniae Radix was negatively correlated with hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen scavenging activities. These results indicate that the antioxidative effects of Kampo formulae are not uniform but complexly varied against multiple reactive oxygen species. Some formulae have almost no antioxidant effects but may act as pro-oxidants.

Simultaneous evaluation of antioxidative serum profiles facilitates the diagnostic screening of autism spectrum disorder in under-6-year-old children

“…), and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) agreed with previously reported spectra of the corresponding radical adducts, confirmed by their hyperfine coupling constants 37 . The addition of sera decreased the signal amplitude, and the scavenging activity was calculated according to the previously described method.…”

“…Measurements of free radical scavenging activities in the serum. Multiple free radical scavenging activities were measured by an ESR-based MULTIS method, as described previously 37 . In this method, we evaluated five ROS, namely, • , and 1 O 2 .…”

“…•− ), and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), in biological samples (MULTIS method) [36][37][38][39] . This method allows the simultaneous evaluation of multiple antioxidative systems, i.e., scavenging of hydroxyl radicals by GSH and superoxide by the superoxide dismutase system, and the detailed characterization of oxidative stress-related reactions.…”

“…This method allows the simultaneous evaluation of multiple antioxidative systems, i.e., scavenging of hydroxyl radicals by GSH and superoxide by the superoxide dismutase system, and the detailed characterization of oxidative stress-related reactions. Using this MULTIS method in various clinical samples and experimental models, we have already provided evidence that oxidative stress is not simply increased in vivo but shows complicated alterations involving multiple ROS and antioxidants 36,37,39 .…”

Effect of intraoral antioxidative capacity in orengedokuto

“…To date, there have been previous studies on antioxidative capacity of OGT and its crude drug components in vitro , such as oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) , radical scavenging activity by electron spin resonance (ESR) , and the suppression of nitric oxide (NO) production using cells . However, very few studies reported animal experiments or human clinical trials of the antioxidative capacity of OGT and its crude drug components.…”