Antioxidant Effect of Tianwang Buxin Pills A Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula: Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their derivatives play important roles in the development of diseases such as, cardiovascular disease, ischemic disease, and aging. Much effort has been devoted to finding both an effective and non-toxic antioxidant traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formula. Tianwang Buxin Pills (TBPs) have been used in TCM to treat mild cognitive impairment and palpitations. Recently, research has revealed that TBPs are effective against oxidative stress and psychological stress in experimental studies. However, randomized controlled trials (RCT) are rare. This study was conducted to assess the antioxidative and anti-stress effects of TBPs by analyzing (determination) reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs test) of the blood, the stress response inventory (SRI), and the Korean version of the WHO Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF) in 39 healthy volunteers (Placebo group = 20, TBPs group = 19) before and after oral administration of TBPs for 4 weeks. However, d-ROMs test, SRI, and WHOQOL-BREF values did not differ significantly between the two groups. These results indicate that TBPs do not effectively restrain ROS or their derivatives.