[Studies on pharmacological junctions of hairy root of Astragalus membranaceus].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of hairy root of Astragalus membranaceus(HRA).

METHOD: HRA were given 10 g/kg per day for 50 days to aged mice treated with D-galactose, and the effect on memory and antioxidant functions were estimated. After administration of HRA 10 g/kg for four days, anti-ischemia-reperfusion kidney model of rat was prepared. The kidney function, activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and content of malondialdehyde(MDA) in kidney were examined. Mice with immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide were given orally HRA 10 g/kg for 12 days. The activity of natural killer (NK) cells was measured.

RESULT: HRA improved the memory, raised SOD activity in brain and liver, decreased the MDA content in the liver of aged mice, reduced the MDA content in ischemia-reperfusion kidney, decreased the creatinine level in blood of rats, and promoted the activity of NK cells in immunosuppressed mice.

CONCLUSION

Similar to the natural A. membranaceus, HRA has senility-preventing, antioxidizing and immunomodulating functions.