The Efficacy of Selected Herbs in Delaying the Ageing Process as Indicated by the Reduction in Plasma Malondialdehyde Levels

Effects of selected herbs in delaying ageing in rats were studied by measuring the activity of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of lipid peroxidation status. Likewise, the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were also assessed as indices of anti-oxidant. Descriptive histological changes in the brain, liver, kidney and heart were also performed, while, quantitative histology was determined by counting the necrotic cells and lipofuscin pigments in the liver, the glomeruli in the kidney, and the neuron cells in the brain. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats each of the 4-week and 10-month old respectively were used. All rats were divided equally into 10 groups. While the control group was given the basal diet, other groups were fed the basal diet containing 5% of Sireh (Piper betle; S), Bunga Kantan (Pheaomeria speciosa; BK), Dukong Anak (Phyllanthus niruri; DA) or Pucuk Gajus (Anacardium occidentale L.; PG). Blood 4 samples for biochemical analysis were taken every three weeks by intracardiac puncture. The results showed that at almost all instances, the concentration of MDA in the controls were significantly (p<0.05) higher than any other groups. The concentration of MDA was been markedly reduced by herbal supplementation. Likewise, supplementation had also exerted its protective effect against ageing by increasing the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes. Such effective scavenging mechanism in the herbal supplemented group had led to less ageing lesion development in these rats. In conclusion, the selected herbs especially those of DA and PG were able to alleviate ageing-induced injuries in rats via boosting the scavenging system or generating anti-oxidant-like compounds.

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