Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) is widely used in Indian medicine for the treatment of various diseases. We have investigated the effects of amla on the lipid metabolism and
protein expression involved in oxidative stress during the ageing process. SunAmla or
ethyl acetate extract of amla, a
polyphenol-rich fraction, was administered at a dose of 40 or 10 mg/kg
body weight per d for 100 d to young rats aged 2 months and aged rats aged 10 months. The
lipid levels, such as
cholesterol and TAG, in serum and liver were markedly elevated in aged control rats, while they were significantly decreased by the administration of amla. The
PPARalpha is known to regulate the transcription of genes involved in
lipid and
cholesterol metabolism. The
PPARalpha protein level in liver was reduced in aged control rats. However, the
oral administration of amla significantly increased the hepatic
PPARalpha protein level. In addition,
oral administration of amla significantly inhibited the serum and hepatic mitochondrial
thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance levels in aged rats. Moreover, the elevated expression level of bax was significantly decreased after the
oral administration of amla, while the level of bcl-2 led to a significant increase. Furthermore, the expressions of hepatic
NF-kappaB, inducible
NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2)
protein levels were also increased with ageing. However, amla extract reduced the iNOS and COX-2 expression levels by inhibiting
NF-kappaB activation in aged rats. These results indicate that amla may prevent age-related hyperlipidaemia through attenuating oxidative stress in the ageing process.