Anti-Acute Fatigue Effects of Ethanol Extract of Bidens pilosa L. and the Profiling of Antioxidant Index in ICR Mice

Abstract

The effects of ethanol extract of Bidens pilosa L. (EEB) on acute exercise fatigue and its underlying biochemical mechanism were investigated in this study. Sixty adult male ICR mice were divided into control, model, vitamin C (VC) 100, EEB40, EEB80, and EEB160 groups, receiving VC (100 mg/kg) or EEB (40, 80, 160 mg/kg) for 28 days (intragastrically, I.G.). The mice underwent tail-suspension, elevated plus maze (EPM), rotarod, and loaded swimming tasks and biochemical indices were measured. There were no significant differences in body weight, tail suspension time, EPM open arm time/entries and serum cortisone levels among the groups. Compared with the model group, there was an increase in rotarod latency in the VC100/EEB80 groups and an increase in loaded swimming time in the EEB80/EEB160 groups. Furthermore, the haptic and muscle glycogen levels decreased in the model group, while the haptic glycogen levels increased in the all VC/EEB groups. Similarly, the serum lactate and creatinine levels increased in the model group, but decreased in lactate (except for EEB160), creatinine (except for EEB40) and lactate dehydrogenase in the EEB80 group. In the liver, malonaldehyde (MDA) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels increased in the model group; however, glutathione reductase (GR) (except for EEB40), glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG ratios increased, with GSSG levels decreasing in all VC/EEB groups. In the quadriceps, the GR levels increased in the model, whereas it decreased in the VC100, EEB40 and EEB80 groups. These results suggest that EEB has anti-acute fatigue effect, potentially attributed to mitigate metabolite accumulation, enhancing glycogen reserves, and fortifying the antioxidant mechanism.