Antioxidative effects related to the potential anti-aging properties of the Chinese prescription Kangen-karyu and Carthami Flos in senescence-accelerated mice.

The popular oxidative stress theory predicts that enhancement of the antioxidative defense system to attenuate free radical-induced damage counteracts the aging process. We used senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) because SAM has been shown to suppress the antioxidative defense system and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress. We investigated the antioxidative effects of the Chinese prescription Kangen-karyu and its crude drug component Carthami Flos. The administration of Kangen-karyu extract at 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 10 weeks inhibited generation of nitric oxide, superoxide and the hydroxyl radical (*OH), while Carthami Flos extract showed only *OH-scavenging activity. Diet supplemented with Kangen-karyu and Carthami Flos extracts enhanced the activities of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase in hepatic tissue and glutathione peroxidase in renal tissue, and reduced the hepatic lipid peroxidation level which increased with aging, indicating the protective action against oxidative stress by enhancing the antioxidative status. Hepatic and renal dysfunction with aging was also ameliorated by the administration of Kangen-karyu and Carthami Flos supplements. Furthermore, the observed antioxidative properties of the Chinese prescription Kangen-karyu were more evident than those of Carthami Flos. These findings suggest that the protective activity of Kangen-karyu against the oxidative tissue damages during aging may be due partly to synergistic and/or additive effects of its crude preparation. The present study strongly indicates that Kangen-karyu counteract the oxidative stress and ameliorating tissue damage possibly associated with aging in SAM.