Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Neuroprotective Activities of a Plant Extract Derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine: SuHeXiang Wan (AT000)

In this paper, we present SuHeXiang Wan, a medicine used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of epilepsy and convulsions. We investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities of the same treatment designated as AT000. The synergy of the two plants, Dryobalanops aromatica and Saussurea lappa , of which the use in alimentary supplements is considered controversial, was evaluated for the first time. The antioxidant activity of the extract was assessed by DPPH and ORAC tests while the anti-inflammatory activity was determined by measuring the capacity of macrophages to generate a strong inflammatory response when stimulated with antigens, inducing NO release. The extract efficacy on the attenuation of the Aβ 25-35 -induced learning deficits (spatial working memory: spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze and contextual long-term memory: passive avoidance test) was evaluated in vivo in mice seven days after the peptide administration. The impact on lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus, an index of oxidative stress, was also evaluated. AT000 extract showed a strong antioxidant activity at 2 mg/mL, 10 mg/mL and 301774 Trolox equivalents according to the DPPH and ORAC tests respectively. The 21-days AT000 treatment dose-dependently alleviated Aβ 25-35 -induced deficits, with significant prevention at the highest dose tested (250 mg/Kg/day) on the spontaneous alternation, step-through latency and escape latency parameter. 21-days AT000 treatment dose-dependently attenuated also Aβ 25-35 -induced increase lipid peroxidation, with a significant and complete blockade at the highest doses tested. Synergistic experiments showed that the presence of Dryobalanops aromatica and Saussurea lappa is crucial to obtain a neuroprotective effect. According to these results, AT000 could be a candidate compound in the development of therapeutic drugs for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.