Adaptive Effect of Anoectochilus Formosanus Supplementation onPhysical Fatigue and Exercise Performance in Mice

Abstract

Anoectochilus formosanus (A. formosanus) is a medical herb endemic to Taiwan that has been reported to have multi-biological activities such as immunomodulation, liver protection, and anti-cancer and anti-inflammation activities. We aimed to investigate whether supplementation with A. formosanus ethanolic extract (AFE) could promote exercise performance or have anti-fatigue properties in mice. We randomly assigned 32 mice into 4 groups for treatment: supplementation by oral gavage with vehicle or AFE at 0, 50, 100, or 200mg/kg for 7 days. As compared with vehicle alone, AFE at 50, 100, and 200mg/kg significantly improved forelimb grip strength and swimming time to exhaustion. As well, after a 15min swimming test, blood lactate and ammonia levels were lower with the 3 doses than with vehicle alone. Moreover, after swimming exercise, the activity of serum creatine kinase, a marker of muscular damage, was significantly lower with the 3 doses than with vehicle alone. We suggest that A. formosanus ethanolic extract can be used as an ergogenic aid with anti-fatigue function.