Glycine soja extract alleviates muscle atrophy and inflammatory factors in sciatic nerve injury rats and prevents protein degradation in C2C12 myoblasts

This study investigates the mechanisms involved and the effects of an ethanol extract of Glycine soja (GS-E) on inhibition of muscle atrophy and inflammation in a rat model of sciatic nerve (SN) injury and C2C12 myoblast. GS extracts had protective effects on oxidative stress and dexamethasone-induced decrease in cell viability in C2C12 myoblasts by inhibiting the expression of MuRF1, Atragin-1, and Myostatin mRNAs. Rats were divided into normal control group, sciatic nerve injury group, and treatment groups (GS-E at 150 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, and oxymetholone at 20 mg/kg group). The SN injury group showed a decrease in grip strength and time, while the GS-E group showed a significant dose-dependent increase. Inflammatory factors (TNF-a, IL-b1, IL-6) were significantly reduced in the GS-E–treated SN injury group compared with the SN injury group. The study results suggest that GS-E effectively improved muscle strength by inhibiting muscle atrophy and inflammatory factors. • Glycine soja extract enhance muscle strength in the sciatic nerve injury rats. • Glycine soja extract suppresses muscle atrophy in the sciatic nerve injury rats. • Glycine soja extract reduces inflammatory factors in the blood of sciatic nerve injury rats. • Glycine soja extract could be a functional food for managing muscle atrophy.