Antioxidant and Longevity Properties of the Root of Allium hookeri in Caenorhabditis elegans

Allium hookeri (Liliaceae), native to India is widely cultivated in Korea lately as a medicinal plant. This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and lifespan extending effects of the root of A. hookeri. Methanol extract from the root of A. hookeri was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and H₂O soluble fractions. Antioxidant effects of the fractions were measured by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide quenching activities. Lifespan extending effects of the fractions were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. In addition, stress resistant, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were also studied. Furthermore, we had investigated aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans to find any sample-induced significant change. Our results revealed that ethyl acetate soluble fraction from the root of A. hookeri showed the most potent antioxidant and lifespan extending effects, and this fraction elevated the most potent SOD and catalase activities of worms, and reduce intracellular ROS accumulation.

삼채 뿌리의 항산화 및 수명연장 효과