Prevention and amelioration of Mibyou (sub-healthy condition) is the critical target for disease prevention including age-related
diseases and cancer although the Mibyou condition is not yet pathologically defined. Since the oxidative stress is an underlying
basic etiology associated with many diseases and aging, the psychologically induced oxidative stress, especially in the brain
was supposed as one of the pathology of Mibyou. Several traditional herbal prescriptions applied for the brain disorder were
found effective to prevent cerebral oxidative stress induced by ischemia/reperfusion and also under psychological distress
produced by whiskers cut in mice. Shengmai San comprising three herbs,
Panax ginseng,
Ophiopogon japonicus and
Schisandra chinensis is a traditional herbal medicine formula having a long history of using as a remedy and clinical prescription to treat coronal
heart diseases. Multifunctional aspect of traditional herbal prescription was discussed in terms of preventing oxidative injury
in the brain using Shengmai San as a typical prescription.
Keywords Shengmai San - Qizhu Tang - Cerebral oxidative damage - Ischemia/reperfusion - Whiskers cut stress model - Herbal antioxidant synergism - Mibyou (sub-healthy condition) -
Schisandra chinensis
- Psychological stress
Special issue article in honor of Dr. Akitane Mori.