In the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, many Yang-tonic herbs have been used for retarding the decline in bodily function\nand delaying the onset of age-related diseases. Our earlier studies have demonstrated that Yang-invigorating herbs/formulations\nprotect against oxidative injury in various organs and also extend the median lifespan in mice. This lifespan extension was associated\nwith an upregulation of cellular antioxidant status including that of mitochondria whose functional capacity is also increased by\nââ?¬Å?Yang-invigoratingââ?¬Â herbs/formulations. In this paper, we propose that triterpenes and phytosterols, which are ubiquitously found\nin Yang-tonic herbs, may be the chemical entities responsible for enhancing mitochondrial functional and antioxidant capacity\nand thus the ââ?¬Å?Yang-invigoratingââ?¬Â action. The biochemical mechanism underlying this ââ?¬Å?Yang-invigoratingââ?¬Â action may involve a\nsustained production of low levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) secondary to an increased activity of the electron\ntransport chain, with the possible involvement of mitochondrial uncoupling. The increase in mitochondrial functional capacity\ncan retard the decline in bodily function during aging, whereas the mitochondrial ROS production is instrumental in eliciting a\nglutathione antioxidant response via redox-sensitive signaling pathways, which can delay the onset of age-related diseases.
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