Anti-fatigue effects of Elaeagnus multiflora fruit extracts in mice

Abstract

The fruit, leaves, and roots of Elaeagnus multiflora Thunb. have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cough, diarrhea, and itching. However, the anti-fatigue effects of E. multiflora fruit (EMF) extract have not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of EMF on fatigue and exercise performance in BALB/c mice. EMF was orally administered to mice at four doses (10, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/ day) for 2 weeks. The anti-fatigue activity was evaluated by determining the exhaustive swimming time. Blood lactate and glucose levels and serum lactate levels after a 10 min swimming time, as well as ammonia, creatine kinase (CK), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and glycogen contents after exhaustive swimming time were measured. The exhaustive swimming time of the EMF 200 group was significantly increased (p <0.01). The EMF groups showed significantly low levels of CK, BUN, LDH, and lactate compared with the control group (p <0.05). Increased liver glycogen was observed in the EMF 200 group (p <0.05). These results suggest that EMF can be utilized as an efficacious natural resource for its anti-fatigue effects.