Antioxidant potential of Thai traditional medicine Jatu-Phala-Tiga

Researchers from Thailand and Malaysia evaluated the antioxidant capacities of the Thai traditional tonifying preparation, Jatu-Phala-Tiga (JPT), and its herbal ingredients, and assessed JPT’s effect on longevity. They reported the findings and processes of their study listed below in an article published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

• The imbalance between the generation of free radicals and antioxidants – known as oxidative stress – can cause the oxidation of biomolecules.
• This event contributes to the development of age-related diseases.
• For their experiment, the researchers obtained various extracts from JPT and its herbal components, namely, Phyllanthus emblica (Indian gooseberry), Terminalia arjuna (Arjun tree), Terminalia chebula (black myrobalan) and Terminalia bellirica (bastard myrobalan).
• They used well-established methods, such as metal-chelating, free radical-scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays, to assess the antioxidant activities of the extracts.
• The researchers also performed qualitative analysis of the chemical composition of JPT water extract using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
• They tested the effect of the water extract on the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans.
• The researchers reported that the JPT water extract exerted remarkable antioxidant activities compared to the extracts obtained using other solvents.
• The water extract possessed the highest metal-chelating activity and exhibited remarkable scavenging activities toward DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion radicals.
• The researchers identified several antioxidant compounds in the extract, including amaronols, quinic acid, fertaric acid, kurigalin, amlaic acid, isoterchebin, chebulagic acid, ginkgolide C, chebulinic acid, ellagic acid and rutin.
• Treatment with the water extract (1 and 5 mg/mL) increased the lifespan of C. elegans under normal growth conditions.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that JPT and its herbal ingredients have strong antioxidant activities, particularly the water extract of the polyherbal tonic, making JPT a promising anti-aging and oxidative stress-preventing agent.

Journal Reference:

Wetchakul P, Goon JA, Adekoya AE, Olatunji OJ, Ruangchuay S, Jaisamut P, Issuriya A, Kunworarath N, Limsuwan S, Chusri S. TRADITIONAL TONIFYING POLYHERBAL INFUSION, JATU-PHALA-TIGA, EXERTS ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND EXTENDS LIFESPAN OF CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 13 August 2019;19(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2626-1