Abstract:

Objective: To investigate and compare the protective effects of burdock inulin and Jerusalem artichoke inulin against oxidative damage of organs in mice based on the examinations of body weight, viscera coefficients, and GSH and MDA contents of kidney, brain, heart and testis. Methods: Male mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, which were designated as Burdock inulin groups at low, middle and high dosages, Jerusalem artichoke inulin group, alcohol model group and blank control group to perform the corresponding treatments for 20 consecutive days. At the end of administration, all mice were sacrificed and anatomized to harvest kidney, brain, heart and testis for measuring the contents of GSH and MDA. Results: Compared with the blank control group, no obvious differences of GSH content in kidney, heart and testis and a significant difference of GSH content in brain of the alcohol model group were observed. Meanwhile, the alcohol model group exhibited an obvious increase of MDA content in kidney and brain and no obvious difference of MDA content in heart and testis. However, compared with the alcohol model group, the GSH content exhibited a significant decrease in kidney of the mice treated with burdock inulin at different dosages and in brain of the mice treated with burdock inulin at middle and high dosages; whereas, the GSH content exhibited an obvious difference in heart and testis of the mice treated with burdock inulin. Moreover, the MDA content exhibited a significant decrease in kidney of the mice treated with burdock inulin at middle and high dosages, in brain of the mice treated with burdock inulin at high dosage and in testis of the mice treated with Burdock inulin at high dosage; whereas, the MDA content exhibited an obvious difference in heart of the mice treated with burdock inulin. Conclusion: alcohol can result in significantly oxidative damage of kidney and brain tissue in mice, but exhibit less damage to heart and testis. Burdock inulin and Jerusalem artichoke inulin both exhibit a protective effect against oxidative damage of these organs.

Key words: burdock polysacchride, alcohol, mice, organ, oxidative damage