Anti-hypoxic activity at simulated high altitude was isolated in petroleum ether extract of Saussurea involucrata

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 137; no. 3; pp. 1510 - 1515
• Main Authors: Ma, Hui-Ping, Fan, Peng-Cheng, Jing, Lin-Lin, Yao, Juan, He, Xi-Rui, Yang, Yan, Chen, Ke-Ming, Jia, Zheng-Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 11.10.2011
• Subjects: acetates; Acetazolamide; Acute mountain sickness; adenosine triphosphate; Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; adenosinetriphosphatase; Alkanes - chemistry; altitude; Altitude Sickness - drug therapy; Altitude Sickness - etiology; Altitude Sickness - metabolism; Animals; blood; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - drug effects; Blood Glucose - metabolism; brain; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase - metabolism; chloroform; Decompression; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; energy metabolism; Energy Metabolism - drug effects; ethanol; ethers; Glycogen - metabolism; herbs; High altitude; Hypoxia; Hypoxia - drug therapy; Hypoxia - etiology; Hypoxia - metabolism; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - blood; lactate dehydrogenase; lactic acid; Lactic Acid - blood; liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; mortality; mountains; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; myocardium; Myocardium - metabolism; petroleum; Petroleum ether extract; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal; plateaus; Rhodiola; Sassurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip; Saussurea; Saussurea - chemistry; skeletal muscle; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase - metabolism; Solvents - chemistry; Time Factors; Acetazolamide; High altitude; Acute mountain sickness; Hypoxia; Sassurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip; Petroleum ether extract
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.08.037

Rhodiola algida, Saussurea involucrata, and other herbs grown in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau have long been used to prevent and treat acute mountain sickness. To screen and identify the anti-hypoxic constituents in the herbs grown in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of Northwestern China. The anti-hypoxic activities of 20 selected plateau herbs were examined against two positive controls, Rhodiola algida and acetazolamide, using the normobaric hypoxia model of mice. The herb with the highest activity was successively extracted with 70% ethanol, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The extract with the highest activity was identified by comparing the survival time of mice under normobaric hypoxia condition after being subjected to different extracts. The identified extract was further tested by simulating high altitudes through an acute decompression model and a chronic decompression model for mice. The herb found to have the highest anti-hypoxic activity was Saussurea involucrate (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip, and the most effective fraction was in the petroleum ether extract. Administration of petroleum ether extract of Saussurea involucrata (PESI) to mice at 50mg/kg significantly decreased the mortality of animals under acute decompression conditions. Changes in biochemical indicators for glycometabolism and energy metabolism, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in brain and cardiac muscle, lactic acid (LAC) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in blood and cardiac muscles, blood sugar, and glycogen content in liver and skeletal muscle were reversed under chronic decompression conditions. Saussurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) Sch.-Bip exhibits high anti-hypoxic activity that may be effective in preventing acute mountain sickness, and the active constituents are mainly in the petroleum ether extract.