Ethanol fraction of Aralia elata Seemann enhances antioxidant activity and lowers serum lipids in rats when administered with benzo(a)pyrene.

Aralia elata Seemann is an edible mountain vegetable in Korea containing saponin, alkaloid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, methyl eicosanoate and hexacosol, and is known to manifest an effect on cardiac infarction, gastric ulcer, colitis, and enervation. This study has examined the effects of Aralia elata Seemann ethanol extract on antioxidant enzyme systems and lipid metabolism in rats along with benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) administration. Rats were divided into four groups: control (C), an extract fed group (CE), a B(a)P fed group (CB), and a B(a)P and extract fed group (CBE). The ethanol extracts of Aralia elata Seemann (50 mg/kg body weight) were fed to the rats for 4 weeks by stomach tubing. Extract administration increased the antioxidant activities of glutathione sulfur transferase (GST). Total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Cu,Zn-SOD activities were stimulated. Catalase activities were increased by 50% with extract feeding. Cu,Zn-SOD was greatly enhanced from 0.10 unit to 0.18 unit and catalase activity also was increased. Serum alpha-tocopherol was markedly increased by the extracts. The ethanol fraction of Aralia elata Seemann decreased total serum cholesterol. However, serum HDL-cholesterol was increased by 35% (p<0.05). The results indicate that Aralia elata Seemann exerts antioxidant and strong hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects in vivo with the administration of B(a)P.