Alternanthera sessilis and Alternanthera bettzickiana Improved Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase Activities in the Livers of Ovariectomized Mice

Background: Oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species can cause the damages to several cells or tissues. Ovariectomized (OVX) mice have been used as the oxidative stress model. Alternanthera sessilis (AS) and Alternanthera bettzickiana (AB), the Southeast Asia edible plants, have been traditionally used for promoting lactation, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and antioxidation. Objective: Impacts of AS and AB crude extracts on the activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) including the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and glutathione (GSH) content were investigated in the livers of ovariectomized induced oxidative stress in mice to clarify their anti-oxidative potentials, compared to 17b-estradiol (E2). Materials and Methods: Adult ICR mice were ovariectomized before treated with E2 (1 mg/kg/day, i.p.), or AS or AB (250, 500 mg/kg/day, p.o.), daily for eight weeks. The activity of CAT, SOD, and GPx and the levels of MDA and GSH in the mouse livers were determined. Results: Ovariectomy significantly reduced the activities of hepatic CAT, SOD, and GPx enzymes while the level of MDA was increased. Extensive decrease of total GSH content, reduced GSH, and the ratio of GSH/GSSG in the OVX mice demonstrated occurrence of hepatic oxidative stress. E2, AS, and AB restored the CAT and SOD activities while that of GPx activity was not modified. The MDA level was extensively suppressed by E2, AS, and AB. The significant increase of the GSH/GSSG ratio was achieved as a result from the marked abatement of GSSG content by E2, AS, and AB, though the level of total GSH content and the reduced GSH was not accrued. Conclusion: AS and AB possessed antioxidant benefit to improve the hepatic oxidant-antioxidant balance in the ovariectomized mice comparable to E2 did.