From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Mon Jan 24 2000 - 13:14:43 MST
Citations: 1-2
<1>
Authors
Lamosova D. Jurani M. Greksak M. Nakano M. Vanekova M.
Institution
Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences,
Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovakia. LAMOSOVA@UBGZ.SAVBA.SK
Title
Effect of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) on chick
skeletal muscle cell growth in culture.
Source
Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology. Part C Pharmacology, Toxicology,
Endocrinology. 116(1):39-45, 1997 Jan.
Abstract
Rooibos tea (RT) extract contains natural antioxidants and
scavenging agents. We investigated the effects of different concentrations of
RT extract in medium on growth and changes of growth parameters of cultured
chick embryonic skeletal muscle cells. Presence of 2, 10 and 100% of RT
extract in the culture of primary cells significantly inhibited cell
proliferation. The inhibition of cell growth reflected on decreased DNA, RNA
and protein contents in primary cell culture and fibroblasts and myoblasts.
The ability of the primary cells, fibroblasts and myoblasts to synthesize DNA
and protein in the presence of RT extract, measured as an amount of
[3H]thymidine and [3H]leucine incorporated into DNA and de novo synthesized
protein, corresponded with decreasing DNA and protein contents in all three
cell types. The inhibition effect of RT rose with increasing concentration of
the tea extract in the culture medium. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was
significantly affected only by 100% RT extract in every examined cell types.
These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of RT extract on the growth
of primary cells, fibroblasts and myoblasts is due to the potent scavenging
activity of the RT extract.
<2>
Authors
Inanami O. Asanuma T. Inukai N. Jin T. Shimokawa S. Kasai N. Nakano M.
Sato F. Kuwabara M.
Institution
Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
Title
The suppression of age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in rat brain
by administration of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis).
Source
Neuroscience Letters. 196(1-2):85-8, 1995 Aug 18.
Abstract
The protective effects of Rooibos tea (RT), Aspalathus
linearis, against damage to the central nervous system (CNS) accompanying
aging were examined by both the thiobarbituric acid reaction (TBA) and
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods in brains of chronically RT-treated
rats. Ad libitum administration of RT was begun with 3-month-old Wistar
female rats and continued for 21 months. The contents of TBA reactive
substances (TBARS) in the frontal cortex, occipital cortex, hippocampus and
cerebellum in 24-month-old rats after administration with water were
significantly higher than those in young rats (5 weeks old). However, no
significant increase of TBARS was observed in RT-administered aged rats. When
MR images of the brains of 24-month-old rats with and without RT as well as
5-week-old rats were taken, a decrease of the signal intensity was observed
in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum in MR images of aged rats
without RT, whereas little change of the signal intensity was observed in MR
images of the same regions of 24-month-old rats treated with RT, whose images
were similar to those of young rats. These observations suggested that (1)
the age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in the brain was closely
related to the morphological changes observed by MRI, and (2) chronic
RT-administration prevented age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in
several regions of rat brain.
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