Anti-Aging Effects of Some Selected Iranian Folk Medicinal Herbs-Biochemical Evidences

  Objective(s): In the current study, the effects of selected folk medicinal herbs were evaluated in D-galactose-induced aging in male mice.   Materials and Methods: Male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into ۱۲ groups composing sham, control, and treated groups. Aging was induced by administration of D-galactose (۵۰۰ mg/kg/day for ۶ weeks). A positive control group was assigned that received vitamin E (۲۰۰ mg/kg/day). The extract of herbs was prepared, lyophilized, and used in this study. The herbs were administered by gavage for ۴ weeks to D-galactose-aged animals at the selected doses (mg/kg/day) as follows: Zingiber officinale (۲۵۰), Glycyrrhiza glabra (۱۵۰), Rosmarinus officinalis (۳۰۰), Peganum harmala (۵۰), Aloe vera (۱۵۰), Satureja hortensis (۲۰۰), Teucrium scordium (۲۰۰), Hypericum perforatum (۱۳۵) and Silybum marianum (۱۵۰). One group of animals was assigned as sham and not given D-galactose. Results: At the end of treatment, pro-inflammatory markers including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukine-۱β (IL-β), interlukine-۶ (IL-۶), NF-kappaB (NF-κb), total antioxidant power (TAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as lipid peroxidation (LPO) marker and male sex hormones i.e. testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) were measured in the blood.   Conclusion: These data for the first time indicate significant anti-aging potential of examined herbs. Results showed that D-galactose induces a significant oxidative stress and promotes proinflammatory cascade of aging while all herbs more or less recovered these changes. Among ۹ herbal extracts, Silybum marianum showed the best effect in restoring aging changes.