Effects of three Chinese herbal medicines on plasma and liver lipids in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Chinese herbal medicines, Inchinko-to, Bofu-tsusho-san and Dai-saiko-to, containing 3, 18 and 8 components, respectively, have since long been used as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, choleretic and diuretic agent for liver disorders and jaundice, as an anti-obesity agent, a hypocholesterolemic agent for liver disorders and a therapeutic and/or preventive agent for cholesterol gallstone disease with hypertriglycerid-emia in China and Japan, respectively. In the present study, we investigated the effects of these three herbal medicines in young male mice fed a high-fat diet. Plasma levels of lipids and the numbers of the fatty droplets in the liver cytoplasm were markedly lowered by the diets supplemented with three herbal medicines. The liver weights and the body growth were reduced by the diet supplemented with Dai-saiko-to, which slightly affected the concentrations of total protein, albumin, creatinine or calcium, and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase. Thus, Dai-saiko-to, besides Bofu-tsusho-san, seems effective in the activities of anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-hyperlipids in liver cytoplasm, when used carefully.

Effects of colestimide and/or Bofu-tsusho-san on plasma and liver lipids in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Hypercholesterolemia is known to enhance the risk of coronary heart disease and fatty liver. Colestimide is an anion-exchange resin, which is not absorbed in the small intestine, decreases the intestinal reabsorption of bile acids synthesized from cholesterol in the liver and consequently increases bile acid excretion into the feces. Bofu-tsusho-san, a traditional Japanese herbal remedy, contains 18 components and has long been used as an anti-obesity agent. In the present study, we investigated the effects of colestimide and/or Bohu-tsusho-san in young male mice fed a high-fat diet. The high-fat diet supplemented with both colestimide and Bofu-tsusho-san markedly reduced the plasma levels of lipids, the liver weight and number of fatty droplets in the liver cytoplasm, and the body growth, compared with animals fed a high-fat diet alone. Neither medicine affected the blood biochemistry. Thus, the hypocholesterolemic action of colestimide, sometimes bringing light flatulence, which is improved by simultaneous administration of Bofu-tsusho-san, which activates the thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue, is suggested to reduce body mass and liver lipids, lowering the plasma levels of lipids.

Preventive effect of ferulic acid on bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

An extract from corn germ induced a positive response in the pigeon crop sack test, used for the detection of prolactin-like substances. One of the substances extracted was identified as ferulic acid, which was reported to affect serum gonadotropin levels in ovariectomized male rats. To evaluate the effects of ferulic acid on bone loss, ovariectomized female rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain at age 35 weeks were given ferulic acid and/or 17a-ethynylestradiol daily for 8 weeks, and serum hormone levels and tibial bone mineral density were measured. In metaphysis of the tibia, which was abundant in cancellous bone and more reflective of BMD than whole tibia, the BMD was markedly reduced by ovariectomy and enhanced by the treatment with estrogen or ferulic acid in the ovariectomized rats. The treatment slightly increased the serum levels of estrogen and progesterone and alkaline phosphatase activity, which was reduced by estrogentreatment, i.e. the mechanism of bone formation by ferulic acid was suggested to be different from that by estrogens. These results indicate that ferulic acid promotes bone remodeling, leading to a predominantly osteoblastic phase, besides bone resorption by osteoclasts.