Standardized Fingerroot (<i>Boesenbergia pandurata</i>) Extract Decelerates the Development of Sarcopenia in Aged Rats

Sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle mass with age, significantly impacting the lives of the elderly. Fingerroot [<i>Boesenbergia pandurata</i> (Roxb.) Schltr.] exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-obesity activities. In this study, we demonstrated the inhibitory effect of fingerroot extract (<i>B. pandurata</i> extract, BPE) standardized with panduratin A on sarcopenia in aged rats. The results showed that BPE significantly increased the weights of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscle tissues and the cross-sectional area of the muscle fibers. In addition, BPE activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway, thereby activating the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway for protein formation and inhibiting proteolysis by decreasing forkhead box O3a-mediated muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases. BPE not only reduced tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 levels but also stimulated the activities and mRNA expression of catalase and superoxide dismutase. The results suggest that BPE can be used as a functional food ingredient to inhibit or decelerate sarcopenia progression.