ESP-102, a combined extract of Angelica gigas, Saururus chinensis and Schizandra chinensis, protects against glutamate-induced toxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells.

It was reported previously that ESP-102, a combined extract of Angelica gigas, Saururus chinensis and Schizandra chinensis, significantly improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice and protected primary cultured rat cortical cells against glutamate-induced toxicity. To corroborate this effect, the action patterns of ESP-102 were elucidated using the same in vitro system. ESP-102 decreased the cellular calcium concentration increased by glutamate, and inhibited the subsequent overproduction of cellular nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species to the level of control cells. It also preserved cellular activities of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase reduced in the glutamate-injured neuronal cells. While a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was observed in glutamate treated cells, the mitochondrial membrane potential was maintained by ESP-102. These results support that the actual mechanism of neuroprotective activity of ESP-102 against glutamate-induced oxidative stress might be its antioxidative activity.