Abstract
We investigated the antioxidant action of a solid preparation of Xingnaojing (XNJ) and ascorbic acid (AA) in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). The total antioxidant states in the plasma, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate were measured every 2 weeks, and lipid peroxidation, expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in plasma, was measured in the 6th week. The results showed that AA and XNJ significantly increased the total antioxidant status in plasma and reduced malondialdehyde in the plasma. These data suggest that during 6-week administration, XNJ has antioxidant action on SHRSP, which may relate to its generalized inhibition of lipid peroxidation and promotion of the total antioxidant state. These results demonstrated that orally treated XNJ has an antioxidant effect on SHRSP plasma.