The decoction from a tumbler made of heartwood of the Asana (Indian kino tree, Pterocarpus marsupium) was a remedy for diabetes mellitus in Ayurvedic medicine. In our research program for investigating novel anti-aging agent, we evaluated the anti-aging potency of Asana heartwood using disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome (DIC), skin lightening activities and anti-oxidant activities as indicators. As results, oral administration of the extract at 200 and 500 mg/kg to DIC model rats reduced blood passing times on MC-FAN with 23 and 56%, respectively. In addition, the extract demonstrated showed suppressive effects on collagen-induced platelet aggregation with 23 and 73% at 200 and 500 µg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, the active principle was determined to be pterostilbene with activity-guided purification and the compound showed 31, 56 and 91% of inhibition at 5, 20 and 50 µM, respectively. Moreover, the extract showed inhibition against both cyclooxygenase-1 and -2.
Inhibitory effects on tyrosinase and melanogenesis were tested for skin lightening activities and the extract showed 45 and 68% inhibition against tyrosinase at 50 and 200 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, the extract showed 45, 53 and 69% of anti-melanogenesis activity at 5, 20 and 50 µg/ml, respectively. Oxyresveratrol was determined as an active principle by activity-guided purification and showed 73, 81 and 85% of tyrosinase inhibition at 2, 5 and 10 µM, respectively.
In the anti-oxidative activities, the extract showed DPPH radical scavenging activity with 16, 36 and 67% at 5, 10 and 20 µg/ml, respectively. An active principle was determined as (+)-dihydrorobinetin by activity-guided purification. The extract also suppressed the production of AGEs with 48, 54 and 60% and 0.78, 3.13 and 12.5 µg/ml, respectively. Liquiritigenin was identified as the one of the active principles.
These results demonstrate that the extract of Asana heartwood may be a promising candidate as a multifunctional material for anti-aging.