Summary of Research Findings

7. Title
Antioxidant Properties of Two Ayurvedic Herbal Preparations [MAK-4 and MAK-5]
Publication
Biochemical Archives, Vol. 10, pp. 25-31, 1994.
Antioxidant Research (continued)
Authors
Stephen C. Bondy, Tina M. Hernandez, and Cara Mattia.
Conducted at
Department of Community and Environmental Medicine, University of California (Irvine), Irvine, CA 92717
Summary
Two herbal preparations (MAK-4 and MAK-5)
constituted of mixtures of several plants have been used
over a long period of time by practitioners of Ayurvedic
medicine. In view of several reports on their healthrelated
utility, this investigation was undertaken to study
their properties in biological systems. Results of this
study showed that ethanol and aqueous extracts of these
preparations were able to quench generation of reactive
oxygen species in vitro within an isolated cerebrocortical
fraction enriched in mitochondria and nerve endings
(synaptosomes). Both the ethanol and aqueous extracts
of MAK-4 and MAK-5 exhibited potent antioxidant activity.
The greatest effect was
seen with the ethanol extracts of these herbal mixtures,
and the most potent inhibition was found in ethanol-soluble materials derived from the MAK-5 product.
The ability of MAK-5 extracts to modulate chemically-induced oxidative stress was also examined in intact
animals. The excess production of reactive oxygen species observed within the cerebellar mitochondrial fraction
after exposure of rats to toluene, was prevented by pretreatment with MAK-5. This effect was not apparent
when the ethanol and aqueous extracts of the preparation
were tested separately. However, the ethanol extract from
MAK-5 alone was able to inhibit the toluene-induced elevation
of oxidative species within a mitochondrial fraction derived
from the kidney. The results suggest that these herballyderived
mixtures possess distinctive qualities which may be of
utility in the design of preventive or therapeutic approaches
relating to the mitigation of excess oxidative events. See
Research on Reduction of Chemical Toxicity for more information
on this study.
Study 7 Research Highlights
Ethanol and aqueous extracts of MAK-4 and MAK-5 were able to quench generation of reactive oxygen species
in vitro within an isolated cerebrocortical fraction enriched in mitochondria and nerve endings. Thus, these
herbally-derived mixtures possess distinctive qualities, which may be of utility in the design of preventive or
therapeutic approaches related to the mitigation of excess oxidative events.
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