Medicinal Uses
Seahorse's have been used in Traditional Chinese's medicine for centuries. An estimated 24.5 million or about 70 tons of seahorses are sold each year just to China. Medicines including seahorses can treat anything from kidney aliments, circulatory problems, abdominal pain, toxic swelling, urinary problems, impotence, and even debility in the elderly. There are about 90 different medicines containing seahorses that are sold in China as well as other places. There are other organisms that are used in in traditional Chinese medicines. Siberian tigers are usually harvested for their bones and other parts, while black bears have their bile extracted to treat headaches or liver ailments. Musk deer and rhinoceros are also used for medicine in Traditional Chinese medicine.
One paper that really caught my eye, was a study
conducted in Japan at Okayama University Medical School.
The research that was conducted was the effects of
Guilingji, which is an antiaging medication comprised of
traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and animal
components, on the brains levels of TBARS thiobarbituric
acid reactive substances (TBARS) and superoxide
dismutase (SOD) activity in rats induced with epilepsy.
In other words, the researchers were examining the
brains of rats induced with a chemical to cause them to
epilepsy. They would then monitor the levels TBARS,
which is the oxidative degradation
of lipids.
This is the process in which free
radicals "steal" electrons from the lipids
in cell
membranes, resulting in cell damage. The
researchers also monitored the SOD, which are a type of
enzymes that catalyze the
dismutation of
superoxide into
oxygen and hydrogen
peroxide. SOD is an important antioxidant defense
in nearly all cells exposed to oxygen. The results
showed that the rats pretreated with Guilingji decreased
the levels of TBARS in parts of the brain, such as the
left cortex, midbrain, and the olfactory lobe. It also
showed an increase in the SOD activity in the midbrain
and hypothalamus. The results found are the first to
show that Guilingji may have an antiepileptic effect,
treatments of seizures, other than just antiaging
agents. This could mean that Guilinigji may operate
through the mechanism of antioxidation.
Let’s take a look at Guilingji. It is a mixture of 19
different Chinese medicinal herbs and animal components
including the Hippocampus Kelloggi. It has been used for
centuries in China. It has been said that Qianlong of
Qing Dynasty used it during his life time. Studies have
showed that this medicine would increase the levels of
absorbic acid in the adrenal cortex in our brain and
protect then it would protect the gland from exhaustion
induced by hydrocortisone, a hormone steroid produced to
relief stress. Other studies have shown an increase in
the life span of mice that have been administered
Guilingji. Now studies are showing that Guilingji may
scavenge free radicals that have been known to cause
various diseases.
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