Pharmacological Study Of Fulvic Acid And Sodium Fulvate

Fulvic acid is a highly oxidized humic acid, which has many active function groups (carboxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, quinonyl) in its structure. Fulvic acid can easily dissolve in water, thus it is well absorbed and utilized by human bodies. Fulvic acid is better than the common humic acids in physicochemical properties and biological activities, which is regarded as the best humic acid in pharmacological efficacy. As early as thousand years ago, humic acid had been recorded by Lishi-zhen in the "Compendium of Materia Medica", which was mainly used for the treatment of nose bleeding, women's qi blood pain, abdominal pain and other diseases. In recent years, many reports have also confirmed the remarkable effects (e.g. anti-inflammatory, anti-virus, regulating immunity,anti-bacterial and anti-ulcer) of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate.Li Bao-cai and other authors proposed that some chemical properties (structures and groups) of humic acids, especially fulvic acid, were similar to that of the pigments in Pu-erh tea. Therefore, the bioactivities and therapeutic functions of fulvic acid should be similar to the pigments extracted from Pu-erh tea. Therefore, we speculate that fulvic acid should have the sobering up arid hypoglycemic functions. In the current study, using Kunming mice as experiment object, the sobering up and hypoglycemic effects of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate were observed. The major findings are summarized as follows:1. With the lignite of Xundian as raw material, crude fulvic acid was extracted and prepared by the hydrogen peroxide oxidation; and was purified twice by AB-8 macroporous resin column to reduce the ash content. Finally the purity of fulvic acid is up to 96.28%.2. Using the limits method, the acute toxicities of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate were examined. And the long-term toxicity of fulvic acid was explored preliminarily. The toxicity experiment results of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate could provide some reliable basis for the safety of medication.3. The ethanol median lethal dose was determination, and the effect of fulvic acid to prevent the acute ethanol poisoning of mice was examined. According to the animal behavior, the drunken time and the number of drunken mice in each group were observed in the experiment. And using Agilent Technologies 6890N gas chromatograph, the variations of ethanol concentration in the mice plasma were measured in 30,60 and 90 min after giving drug, respectively. Results:Fulvic acid could reduce the death number of mice because of the acute ethanol poisoning, and had the obvious effect of preventing the acute ethanol poisoning of mice. Compared with model group, the drunken time of mice given 3% and 5% fulvic acid was shortened significantly (P<0.05); compared with King Drink group, the drunken time of mice given 1%,3% and 5% fulvic acid was shortened obviously (P<0.05), and 5% fulvic acid has the best sobering and anti-intoxication effect. Compared with model group, the ethanol concentration in the mice plasma given 1% and 5% fulvic acid was decreased significantly at 30 and 90 min (P<0.05); and especially at 60 min (P<0.01). Compared with King Drink group, the ethanol concentration in the mice plasma given 1% and 5% fulvic acid was decreased significantly at 60 and 90 min (P<0.05).4. The diabetic mice model was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of alloxan. The influences of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate on blood glucose level of normal mice, the glucose tolerance, the blood glucose level, total cholesterol and triglyceride of diabetic mice were studied. Results:The middle and high doses of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate could very significantly reduce the blood glucose of normal mice (P<0.01); the middle and high doses of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate could significantly reduce the blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels of diabetic mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The low dose of sodium fulvate, "Handilong" and "Shanglong" sodium fulvate had the different effects; "Handilong" sodium fulvate, the high dose Fulvic acid and sodium fulvate significantly increased body weight of mice (P<0.05); the middle and high doses of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate could significantly reduce the blood glucose of diabetic mice in the oral glucose tolerance test (P<0.05).These results indicate that fulvic acid and sodium fulvate have the sobering up and Hypoglycemic effect. This work provides a certain pharmaceutical basis for further development and utilization of fulvic acid and sodium fulvate in the field of medicine.