Antioxidant and protective effects of Amrit Nectar tablets on adriamycin- and cisplatin-induced toxicities.

OBJECTIVES: Maharishi herbal food supplements have been shown to inhibit the growth of mammary tumors and reduce free radical-mediated injuries. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Amrit Nectar tablets on rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation and compare to other antioxidants. The protective effects of dietary Amrit Nectar tablets (MA-7; containing 38 herbs) on cisplatin-induced changes in glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in rat liver and kidney, and Adriamycin (Pharmacia S.p.A, Milan, Italy)-induced mortalities in mice were also investigated.

RESULTS: Both aqueous and alcoholic extracts of MA-7 were more potent than other antioxidants tested under our experimental conditions. Adriamycin (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) caused 60% mortality during the period of 4 weeks in CDF1 mice. Dietary MA-7 (0.7%) treatment decreased the mortality to 20%. Dietary MA-7 (0.7%) supplementation with cisplatin treatment reversed the effects of cisplatin on liver and kidney GSH and GST activity.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that MA-7 is a powerful antioxidant. MA-7 supplementation with Adriamycin and cisplatin treatment may protect against their toxicities.