• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.1666-1685
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• 2004

This present study was designed to screen medicinal plants for the treatment of brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease or aging. We tested the effects of the water extracts from 38 species medicinal plants on antioxidant capacity, monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitory activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and antiperoxidation activity in vitro. The water extracts from 38 species were tested on their antioxidant activity using radical scavenging effects against ABTS+. The water extract of C. sappan was showed the highest antioxidant capacity, the antioxidant activity at 1 Jig of herbal extract being 0.38mM TE. Lipid peroxidation in brain homogenates induced by NADPH and ADP-Fe/sup 2+/ was strong inhibited by C. sappan and R. palmatum extracts. Among the 38 medicinal plants investigated, R. palmatum showed significant biological activity (antioxidant capacity, MAO-B inhibiory activity, and AChE inhibitory activity). The protective efficacy of R. palmatum water extract on 1-methyl-4­phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced parkinsonism and its possible mechanism were studied in C57BL/6 mice. Treatment of R. palmatum water extract protected biomacromolecules such as lipids from oxidative damage induced by MPTP. The content of MDA in brain tissue was decreased significantly by R. palmatum extract. These results suggest that R. palmatum water extract plays on effective role in attenuating MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in mice. This protective effect of R. palmatum might be estimated the result from the inhibitory activity on monoamine oxidase B and the enhancement of antioxidant activity.