X-Message-Number: 25548 Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 18:14:01 -0800 (PST) From: Doug Skrecky <> Subject: terminalia chebula fights aging? [Provitamin C slows in-vitro aging, has been OK'd for use in cosmetics and in animal feed. However provitamin C has not been given the green light for human supplemental use. Hence the current interest in terminalia chebula...] Phytother Res. 2004 Sep;18(9):737-41 Cytoprotective effect on oxidative stress and inhibitory effect on cellular aging of Terminalia chebula fruit. The ethanol extract from the fruit of Terminalia chebula (Combretaceae) exhibited significant inhibitory activity on oxidative stress and the age-dependent shortening of the telomeric DNA length. In the peroxidation model using t-BuOOH, the T. chebula extract showed a notable cytoprotective effect on the HEK-N/F cells with 60.5 +/- 3.8% at a concentration of 50 microg/ml. In addition, the T. chebula extract exhibited a significant cytoprotective effect against UVB-induced oxidative damage. The life-span of the HEK-N/F cells was elongated by 40% as a result of the continuous administration of 3 microg/ml of the T. chebula extract compared to that of the control. These observations were attributed to the inhibitory effect of the T. chebul a extract on the age-dependent shortening of the telomere, length as shown by the Southern blots of the terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) of DNA extracted from subculture passages. Phytother Res. 2002 May;16(3):227-31 Influence of Terminalia chebula on dermal wound healing in rats. The effects of topical administration of an alcohol extract of the leaves of an evergreen plant, Terminalia chebula, on the healing of rat dermal wounds, in vivo, was assessed. T. chebula treated wounds healed much faster as indicated by improved rates of contraction and a decreased period of epithelialization. Biochemical studies revealed a significant increase in total protein, DNA and collagen contents in the granulation tissues of treated wounds. The levels of hexosamine and uronic acid in these tissues, also increased upto day 8 post-wounding. Reduced lipid peroxide levels in treated wounds, as well as ESR measurement of antioxidant activity by DPPH radical quenching, suggested that T. chebula possessed antioxidant activities. The tensile strength of tissues from extract-treated incision wounds increased by about 40%. In addition, T. chebula possessed antimicrobial activity and was active largely against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella. These results strongly document the beneficial effects of T. chebula in the acceleration of the healing process. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=25548