Activation of antioxidant activity in natural medicinal products by heating, brewing and lipophilization. A new drug delivery system.

On the basis of the authors' previous hypothesis (1) that treatment of natural plant products with heating and gastric juice results in liberation of low molecular weight compounds with antioxidant activity that exist in the native products as repeating subunits of high molecular weight polymers, they have developed specially treated natural health or medicinal products in which several identifiable low molecular weight compounds with antioxidant activity are liberated and activated. The principal features of the treatment protocol included heating at 80-95 degrees C with continuous manual stirring in an oriental pottery vessel over a Japanese traditional oven, subsequent brewing with Koji (Aspergillus oryzae), and final emulsification in sesame oil. These products were named AOA (antioxidant analogues) or B-H (Bio-harmony). AOA and B-H were markedly effective both in scavenging the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated and in inhibiting lipid peroxidation; they also significantly reduced both adjuvant- and adriamycin-induced paw oedema in rats. These agents were strikingly effective in ameliorating a variety of inflammatory diseases in patients and caused a fall in their serum lipid peroxide levels. Significant levels of several low molecular weight antioxidant compounds such as flavoprotein and carotene were directly detected by analysis of the treated products. The authors conclude that the procedures are useful and effective for potentiating the bioavailability of pharmacologically active natural products.