Composition for preventing or treating stroke or neurodegenerative disease, comprising extract complex of pueraria lobata and scutellaria baicalensis as active ingredient

Abstract

A composition, a health functional food or a treatment method of the present invention has a remarkable cranial nerve cell protection effect and simultaneously has a sensorimotor function recovery promotion effect and a body weight increasing effect. Accordingly, the present invention has effects of preventing stroke or neurodegenerative diseases, protecting cranial nerve cell cells over the mid to long term immediately after the onset of disease, promoting the recovery of a sensorimotor function reduced by stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, and increasing a reduced body weight. Therefore, the present invention can be used for effectively preventing, treating or managing stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

Claims

1. A method for treating a cerebral ischemia or ischemic stroke in subject comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an extract complex of Pueraria lobate and Scutellaria baicalensis as an active ingredient, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from a mixture containing 65-95 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 5-35 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

2. The method according to 1, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from a mixture containing 87.91 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 12.09 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

3. A method for treating a cerebral ischemia or ischemic stroke in subject comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a health functional food comprising the extract complex of Pueraria lobate and Scutellaria baicalensis as an active ingredient, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from a mixture containing 65-95 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 5-35 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

4. The method according to 3, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from the mixture containing 87.91 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 12.09 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

5. The method according to 1, wherein the composition is for protecting neuron and promoting sensorimotor function recovery.

6. The method according to 1, wherein the composition is for increasing body weight.

7. The method according to 3, wherein the health functional food is for protecting neuron and promoting sensorimotor function recovery.

8. The method according to 3, wherein the health functional food is for increasing body weight.

9. A method for treating stroke in subject comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an extract complex of Pueraria lobate and Scutellaria baicalensis as an active ingredient, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from a mixture containing 65-95 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 5-35 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

10. The method according to 9, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from a mixture containing 87.91 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 12.09 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

11. A method for treating stroke in subject comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a health functional food comprising the extract complex of Pueraria lobate and Scutellaria baicalensis as an active ingredient, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from a mixture containing 65-95 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 5-35 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

12. The method according to 11, wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis is extracted from the mixture containing 87.91 wt % of Pueraria lobata and 12.09 wt % of Scutellaria baicalensis.

13. The method according to 9, wherein the composition is for protecting neuron and promoting sensorimotor function recovery.

14. The method according to 9, wherein the composition is for increasing body weight.

15. The method according to 11, wherein the health functional food is for protecting neuron and promoting sensorimotor function recovery.

16. The method according to 11, wherein the health functional food is for increasing body weight.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a graph showing infarct volume of rats in a control, a Pueraria lobata extract administered group, a Scutellaria baicalensis extract administered group and an extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group.

(2) FIG. 2 is a graph showing a latency time (time until falls from a rotarod) of a sham-operated group, the control, an extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (30 mg/kg) and an extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg).

(3) FIG. 3 is a graph showing a neurological score of the sham-operated group, the control, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg) and an extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (300 mg/kg).

(4) FIG. 4 is a graph showing weight variation of the sham-operated group, the control, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (30 mg/kg) and the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg).

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(5) The present inventors observed effects of various Chinese herbal medicines on treating stroke or neurodegenerative diseases, and as a result of the observation, the inventors confirmed through the animal MCAo model that the composition comprising the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis as active ingredient has a remarkable cranial nerve cell protection effect on neuronal cell damage due to cerebral ischemia, and simultaneously has a superior sensorimotor function recovery promotion effect and a body weight increasing effect, and accordingly completed the present disclosure.

(6) The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying examples. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Example 1

Preparation of the Extract Complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis

(7) Root of Pueraria lobata (hereinafter referred to “Pueraria lobata”) and Root of Scutellaria baicalensis hereinafter referred to “Scutellaria baicalensis”) were purchased from Yaksudang herbal shop (Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul). A mixture was prepared by mixing 87.91 g of comminuted Pueraria lobata and 12.09 g of comminuted Scutellaria baicalensis. 10-fold of 30% ethanol (1 L) was added to the mixture. The mixture was extracted through the primary hot water extraction for 3 hours at 90° C., left for 2-3 hours at room temperature and then filtered. The filtrate therefrom was set as the primary extract. 30% ethanol (1 L) was added into the extractor again and extracted through the secondary hot water extraction for 3 hours at 80-90° C. The extract was left for 2-3 hours at room temperature and filtered. The filtrate therefrom was set as the secondary extract. The primary extract and the secondary extract were mixed and concentrated under reduced pressure at 50-60° C. until it reaches to 20 brix. The resulting concentrate was pre-freezed for 20 minutes at −45° C. by using a pre-freezer, and lyophilized by using a freeze drier to prepare powdered concentrate.

Comparative Example 1

Preparation of the Pueraria lobata Extract

(8) The Pueraria lobata extract was prepared by extracting 100 g of Pueraria lobata in the same manner as Example 1.

Comparative Example 2

Preparation of the Scutellaria baicalensis Extract

(9) The Scutellaria baicalensis extract was prepared by extracting 100 g of Scutellaria baicalensis in the same manner as Example 1.

(10) The contents of the Pueraria lobata extract and the Scutellaria baicalensis extract in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were described in Table 1 below.

(11) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Pueraria Scutellaria lobata baicalensis Example 1 Weight (g) 87.91 12.09 Weight Ratio 8 1.1 Comparative Weight (g) 100 0 Example 1 Weight Ratio 1 0 Comparative Weight (g) 0 100 Example 2 Weight Ratio 0 1

Experimental Example 1

Preparation of the Animal Model

(12) <1-1> Preparation of a Experiment Animal

(13) Male 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats in about 300 g (Samtako Inc., Republic of Korea) were housed and received enough feed and water to adapt to the experimental environment. About 1 week was given to the rats for adaptation, and then the animal experimentation was performed.

(14) <1-2> Preparation of the Animal Model

(15) Local cerebral ischemia was induced by applying the method of Zea Longa et al. (Longa E Z, Weinstein P R, Carlson S, Cummins R. Reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion without craniectomy in rats. Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation. 1989; 20(1): 84-91). The rats prepared in Experimental Example <1-1> were put under general anesthesia by using mixed gas (70% N.sub.2O and 30% O.sub.2) and 5% isoflurane, and then left carotid artery and external carotid artery (ECA) were separated from surrounding tissue and nerve by incising central-front skin of neck. Superior thyroid artery and laryngeal artery (i.e. branches of external carotid artery), and pterygopalatine artery (i.e. branch of internal carotid artery) were electro-cauterized. External carotid artery was incised and a probe (Doccol, Redlands, Calif., USA) was inserted into internal carotid artery through external carotid artery, but the probe was inserted about 18-19 mm from common carotid artery branch and fixed with a thread. Incised skin was resutured and the rats were allowed to rest for spontaneous recovery from anesthesia. The rats were anesthetized again after 60 minutes of induction in the same way and reperfusion was by pulling back the probe. All operation procedures were conducted beneath an operating microscope while maintaining the isofluran at 2%, and a device for the maintenance of body temperature was used to maintained the body temperature not to drop below 37±0.5° C.

Example 2

Comparison of Cranial Nerve Cell Protection Effects of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1-2 by Using Animal Model

(16) Middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced to the rat for 90 minutes in the same manner as <Experimental Example 1>. The rats were divided into 4 groups. Each 100 mg/kg of a vehicle (5% DMSO) for the first group, the Pueraria lobata extract of Comparative Example 1 for the second group, the Scutellaria baicalensis extract of Comparative Example 2 for the third group, and the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis of Example 1 for the fourth group were orally administered once right after the induction. The rats were sacrificed for humane reasons after 24 hours from the reperfusion and the brain was recovered within 2 minutes. The recovered brain was sliced into 6 sections at a thickness of 2 mm by using a rat brain matrix. The brain sections were dipped in a 12 well plate containing 2% 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) solution and stained for 30 minutes at 37° C. The stained brain sections were photographed by using a digital camera, and then infarct volume was measured by using Image Pro plus 5.0, which is image analysis software. Infarct volume (%) was calculated by the formula below.
Infract Volume (%)=(A−B/A)×100 A: volume of normal left hemisphere (mm.sup.3) B: volume of damaged cerebral infarct area (mm.sup.3)

(17) Infract volume of the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group was significantly decreased by 47.9% compared to that of the control (p<0.05). However, the Pueraria lobata administered group and the Scutellaria baicalensis administered group exhibited no statistically significant effect compared to the control (FIG. 1). The result of the above experimentation was described in Table 2 below.

(18) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Infract Volume (%) Decrease Ratio (%) Control 34.2 ± 3.8 Comparative 30.7 ± 2.6 10.4 Example 2 Comparative 29.9 ± 2.2 12.7 Example 1 Example 1 17.8 ± 5.1 47.9* *P < 0.05

Example 3

Observation of Function Recovery Promotion Effect of the Extract Complex on Sensorimotor Function Impairment by Using the Animal Model

(19) Middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced to the rats for 60 minutes in the same manner as <Experimental Example 1>. The rats were divided into 4 groups as the sham-operated group, the control, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis of Example 1 administered group (30 mg/kg) and the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis of Example 1 administered group (100 mg/kg). Three days after the operation, the extract complex at the volume of 5 ml/kg was orally administered to the extract complex administered groups or in case of the sham-operated group and the control, the vehicle (5% DMSO) at the volume of 5 ml/kg was orally administered once a day for 14 days.

(20) To evaluate rats' motor coordination and balance alteration, a rotarod test was conducted one day before the operation and 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after the operation by applying the method of Jones B J et al. (Jones B J, Roberts D J. The quantitative measurement of motor incoordination in naive mice using an accelerating rotarod. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology. 1968; 20(4): 302-4). An accelerating version of the rotarod, wherein the rotating rod (B1001, B.S Technolab INC., Republic of Korea) is rotating for 5 minutes from 5 to 30 rpm, was used. The rat was placed on the middle of the rod while keeping its balance and latency time was measured at which the rat falls off the rod. The test was performed 5 times per each rat. The highest and lowest values were discarded and the remaining three were averaged.

(21) The rotarod test was conducted on one day before the operation and 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after the operation to observe effect of the extract complex on improving sensorimotor function impairment, and the result therefrom was illustrated in FIG. 2. As a result of measuring the latency time of every group before the operation, the sham-operated group, the control, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (30 mg/kg) and the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg) showed latency time of 296.0±2.6, 283.9±9.7, 278.9±11.7, 284.4±6.6 seconds respectively. It was confirmed that there were no difference among every group. In case of the control, the latency time was rapidly decreased compared to that of the sham-operated group (137.2±30.3 vs. 253.8±13.8 sec, p<0.05) when measuring the latency time one week after the middle cerebral artery occlusion operation. However, latency time of the groups wherein the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis was administered was comparatively longer than that of the control. After 2 weeks, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group and the control were compared and it was confirmed that latency time of the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group was 1.6 times increased compared to that of the control (210.2±23.6 vs. 129.3±20.8 sec, p<0.05).

Example 4

Observation of Recovery Promotion Effect of the Extract Complex on Neurological Damage

(22) The rats were divided into 5 groups as the sham-operated group, the control, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (30 mg/kg), the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg) and the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (300 mg/kg), and middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced to the rats for 60 minutes in the same manner as <Experimental Example 1>. From 4 days after the operation, the extract complex at the volume of 5 ml/kg was orally administered to the groups once a day for 14 days. In case of the sham-operated group and the control, the vehicle (5% DMSO) was administered in the same manner as the extract complex administered groups.

(23) A mNSS (modified Neurological Severity Score) test was conducted on 7.sup.th, 14.sup.th and 21.sup.th day of the operation to evaluate neurological function by applying the method of H S Kim et al. (Kim H S. Histological and Functional Changes after Transplantation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell in the Ischemic Rat Model. Kor J Cerebrovascular Surgery. 2005; 7(1): 61-8). Higher scores correspond to severer dysfunction, 0 means normal and 7 is the highest neurological score.

(24) The result of mNSS test conducted on 1, 2 and 3 weeks after the operation is illustrated in FIG. 3. The mNSS score of the control measured 1 week after the cerebral ischemia induction was significantly increased compared to that of the sham-operated group (4.3±0.6 vs. 1.6±0.2, p<0.05). The mNSS score of the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (300 mg/kg) measured 2 weeks after the cerebral ischemia induction was 3.1±0.5 and it was significantly decreased score compared to 4.5±0.4, which was the score of the control (p<0.05). The mNSS score of the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered groups (100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg) measured 3 weeks after the cerebral ischemia induction were 3.1±0.4 and 2.9±0.4 respectively and it was confirmed that these were significantly decreased scores compared to 4.5±0.5, which was the score of the control (in every case, p<0.05).

Example 5

Observation of Improving Effect of the Extract Complex on Weight Loss

(25) The rats were divided into 4 groups as the sham-operated group, the control, the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (30 mg/kg) and the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg), and middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced to the rat for 60 minutes in the same manner as <Experimental Example 1>. From 3 days after the operation, the extract complex at the volume of 5 ml/kg was orally administered to the groups once a day for 14 days. In case of the sham-operated group and the control, the vehicle (5% DMSO) was administered in the same manner as the extract complex administered groups.

(26) Body weights were measured at the same time everyday from the initial date of the operation until the end of the experimentation, which was 28 days after the operation.

(27) The body weight variation of each group measured from the initial date of the operation until the end of the experimentation was illustrated in FIG. 4. The body weight measured right before the operation (0.sup.th day) among groups were not significantly different. After the operation, body weights of the control were rapidly decreased. It was 258.3±9.0 g at the 4.sup.th day, which was 14.7% decreased weight compared to the initial weight 302.7±1.2 g. There was a significant difference in body weights between the sham-operated group and the control until 10.sup.th day. Body weights of the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg) began to increase after the administration and showed significant difference compared to that of the control since the 7.sup.th day to the 28.sup.th day, when the experimentation was ended. Specifically, at the 14.sup.th day of the induction, the body weight of the extract complex of Pueraria lobata and Scutellaria baicalensis administered group (100 mg/kg) was 359.8±6.7 g, which was almost similar to the body weight of the sham-operated group (359.0±13.0 g).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(28) The present disclosure can effectively prevent, treat or improve stroke or neurodegenerative diseases.