Chronological aging experiments in yeast with the TCM formulation HLJDT

Similarities of the morphological and physiological changes to mammalian cells make yeast a simple model system for cellular and perhaps organismic aging [1]. During the study of the chronological aging experiments differences between cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wildtype BY4741 treated with the TCM formulation Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT) and its isolated pure main compounds (baicalein, baicalin, berberine, geniposide, jatrorrhizine, wogonin) in comparison to untreated yeast cells were investigated. HLJDT consists of Gardeniae fructus (zhi zi; 1.5 parts), Scutellariae radix (huáng qín; 1 part), Phellodendri cortex (huáng bai; 1 part) and Coptidis rhizoma (huáng lián; 1.5 parts). In preliminary investigations the most effective concentrations of the lyophilized decoction and its main ingredients were figured out. Different liquid media seem to influence the results. A significant life-span extension detected as colony forming units (CFU) could be observed with the decoction over a period of 15 and 18 days, respectively. The pure compounds showed only weak effect on the prolongation of the life-span of the yeast cells. These results might underline the use of the TCM formulation HLJDT to prevent age-related diseases.

Reference: 1. Fröhlich, K.-U, Madeo, F.(2001) Exp. Gerontol. 37: 27–31.