Scientific Research on Maharishi Ayurveda

antioxidant research > antioxidant study 1

Antioxidant Study #1

Title
Inhibitory Effects of Maharishi-4 [MAK-4] and Maharishi-5 [MAK-5] on Microsomal Lipid Peroxidation

Publication
Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 649-652, 1991.

Authors
Chandradhar Dwivedi,* Hari M. Sharma,** Stacy Dobrowski,* and Ferzaan N. Engineer.*

Conducted at
**College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
**College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Summary
The effects of Maharishi-4 (MAK-4) and Maharishi-5 (MAK-5) on microsomal lipid peroxidation were examined in vitro. Rat liver microsomes were incubated with an NADPH-generating system or with sodium ascorbate and an ADP-iron complex to stimulate enzymatic or nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation, respectively. Alcoholic or aqueous extracts of MAK-4 or MAK-5, when added to these incubation systems, inhibited hepatic microsomal lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. The aqueous extract of MAK-4 was the most effective antiperoxidant in these systems. A 10% (w/v) aqueous extract of MAK-4 inhibited ascorbate or NADPH-induced lipid peroxidation by approximately 50% when added at volumes of 8 microliters and 3.5 microliters, respectively, to the incubation mixtures (total incubation volume, 2 mL). These findings suggest that MAK-4 and MAK-5, by virtue of their antioxidant properties, may be useful in the treatment of free radical-linked drug toxicities and disease states.