Saengshik, a Formulated Health Food, Prevents Liver Damage in CCl4-Induced Mice and Increases Antioxidant Activity in Elderly Women

• Published in: Journal of medicinal food Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 323 - 330
• Main Authors: Kim, H.Y, Kim, J.H, Lee, S.A, Chang, H.E, Park, M.H, Hwang, S.J, Lee, J.Y, Mok, C, Hong, S.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2008
• Subjects: Agaricales; Aged; Aging - blood; alanine transaminase; Amaranthus; angiotensin I; angiotensin II; animal models; Animals; antihypertensive effect; antioxidant activity; antioxidants; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - analysis; Asystasia; Asystasia gangetica; blood chemistry; blood pressure; carbon tetrachloride; Carbon Tetrachloride - administration & dosage; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; chemical constituents of plants; Edible Grain; elderly; enzyme inhibitors; Female; Food, Formulated; Food, Organic; Fruit; functional foods; Galinsoga parviflora; glutathione; Glutathione - analysis; hepatoprotective effect; hepatotoxicity; herbal medicines; Humans; in vitro studies; Justicia; Justicia flava; Korea; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipid Peroxides - analysis; Lipid Peroxides - blood; Liver - chemistry; Liver - metabolism; Liver Diseases - prevention & control; medicinal plants; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Oxidation-Reduction; oxidative stress; Oxygonum; Oxygonum sinuatum; peptidyl-dipeptidase A; Physalis; Physalis viscosa; plant extracts; saengshik; Seaweed; superoxide dismutase; tannins; thiols; traditional foods; traditional medicine; Tulbaghia; Tulbaghia violacea; Vegetables; women; South Africa; South Korea
• ISSN: 1096-620X; 1557-7600
• DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2007.549

Saengshik is a Korean noncooked food made with of more than 30 different whole gains, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and seaweeds. All of these ingredients are frozen and dried to minimize the loss of nutrients. Saengshik has become popular among health-conscious people in the Republic of Korea. The study aims to investigate antioxidant effects of Saengshik by in vivo and human experiments. In in vivo tests, mice were fed Saengshik for 4 weeks, and oxidative damage was induced by CCl(4). Then the effects of Saengshik on oxidative damage were examined. It was found that plasma lipid hydroperoxide and protein oxidative damages were significantly suppressed and antioxidants, glutathione, and thiol groups were increased. The activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase was increased, and the level of glutamate pyruvate transaminase was decreased. In a human study, elderly people were given Saengshik for 24 weeks, and changes in antioxidant defense of the body were examined. Antioxidant activities in plasma were enhanced, although the difference was not significant. Therefore, it is expected that Saengshik is effective at removing oxidants from body tissues, preventing oxidative damage, and eventually boosting the antioxidant capacity of the body.