title: Effects of a flavonoid extract from Cynomorium songaricum on the swimming endurance of rats.
abstract: The present study investigated the effects of a flavonoid extract from Cynomorium songaricum on the swimming endurance of rats by measuring changes of free radical scavenging enzymes, such as CuZn-SOD (copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase) and GSH-px (glutathione peroxidase), and body weights. Significant and dose-dependent antioxidant and anti-fatigue effects of flavonoids (rutin, catechin and isoquercitrin) on swimming rats were observed during 10 days of swimming exercise. After treatment with the flavonoid extract at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg body weight, the CuZn-SOD and GSH-px activities in swimming rats were increased by 1.4%, 3.3%, 4.1% and 112.2%, 208.7%, 261.7%, respectively, while the levels of MDA (malondialdehyde) were decreased by 64.7%, 79.4%, and 86.4% respectively. Furthermore, the average body weight and the total swimming time were increased by 3.1%, 8.8%, 10.6%, and 7.7%, 34.5%, 61.5%, respectively. Our experimental results suggest that flavonoid supplementation could not only reduce free radical formation and scavenge free radicals, but also enhance endurance exercise performance by reducing muscle fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Gansu Institute of Political Science and Law, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fa-Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong-Zhi
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Er-Qing
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ming-Ren
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Fa-Hong
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002392:Catechin / Q000494:pharmacology; D031482:Cynomorium / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000187:drug effects*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018547:Plant Stems; D011794:Quercetin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012431:Rutin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; C016527:isoquercitrin; D012431:Rutin; D002392:Catechin; D011794:Quercetin; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase