Reparatory and preventive effects of oriental herb extract mixture (OHEM) on hyperuricemia and gout

Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a buildup of uric acid inside of the blood and other tissue such as liver and kidney. Research to develop alternative medicines for hyperuricemia and gout has focused on the screening of natural substances due to the adverse side effects of allopurinol, which remains the only prescription for the disease. The oriental herb extract mixture (OHEM) is a mixture of water extract of Korean native herbs, Lonicera japonica, Cassia obtusifolia L., Adenophora triphylla var. japonica, Rhynchosia nulubilis , and Glycyrrhiza glabra . OHEM was found to possess xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity as well as a high level of functional phytochemicals such as polyphenols and flavonoids. The toxicity of OHEM was barely detected in both cell culture and animal study. XO and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) activities in liver tissues were reduced by 95% following OHEM pretreatment. The oral administration of OHEM also demonstrated a protective effect on liver tissues against damage caused by the induction of hyperuricemia. Indeed, the size of gouty edema was significantly reduced (62%) following oral OHEM pretreatment. These observations demonstrated the positive effect of OHEM pretreatment on the prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.