通过D-半乳糖建立小鼠亚急性衰老模型，探讨淡竹叶多糖（DZY）的抗衰老作用。昆明种小鼠随机分为空白、模型、DZY高、中、低剂量组（100、200、400 mg/kg）。6周后，经Morris水迷宫和小鼠跳台试验测试小鼠的学习记忆能力；检测血清、肝、脑组织中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px）活性及丙二醛（MDA）含量，胸腺、脾脏指数，脑神经元数。结果显示，DZY的抗衰老作用与给药剂量呈正相关关系。与模型组相比高剂量组小鼠的脾脏、胸腺指数、神经元数显著增加（分别为22.18%、46.28%、25.60%），血清、肝和脑组织中SOD活力（分别为34.27%、29.69%、41.63%）、GSH-Px活力（分别为23.18%、42.88%、45.80%）显著增加、MDA含量显著下降（分别为19.81%、56.50%、13.31%），小鼠跳台学习反应时间缩短40.21%、错误次数减少39.57%，记忆潜伏期延长51.58%、错误次数减少38.26%，水迷宫潜伏期缩短39.27%、穿越次数增加63.61%（P<0.01）。淡竹叶多糖有显著的抗衰老作用。

The aim was to study the anti-aging effects of polysaccharides from Lophatherum gracile Brongn. (DZY) using a mouse model of subacute aging induced by D-galactose. Kunming mice were randomly divided into a blank control group, an aging model group, and a low-, medium-, and high-dose DZY group (100, 200, 400 mg/kg, respectively). After 6 weeks, the learning and memory abilities of the mice were measured using Morris water-maze and step-down tests. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum, liver tissue, and brain tissue were assayed. Thymus and spleen indices and the number of neurons were also determined. The anti-aging effects of DZY positively correlated with increased dosages. Compared with the model group, the high-dosage group showed a significantly higher spleen index, thymus index, and number of neurons (increase of 22.18%, 46.28%, and 25.60%, respectively). In the serum, liver tissue, and brain tissue, there were also significant increases in the activities of SOD (by 34.27%, 29.69%, and 41.63%, respectively) and GSH-Px (by 23.18%, 42.88%, and 45.80%, respectively). However, the contents of MDA significantly decreased (by 19.81%, 56.50%, and 13.31%, respectively). In the step-down test, the learning reaction time decreased by 40.21% and the number of errors decreased by 39.57%. Memory latency increased by 51.58%, while the number of memory errors decreased by 38.26%. The escape latency decreased by 39.27% in the Morris water-maze test, while the number of platform crossings increased by 63.61% (p < 0.01). These results indicated that the polysaccharides from Lophatherum gracile Brongn. had a significant anti-aging effect.

湖南省重点学科建设项目资助（2011-76）；湖南省高校科技创新团队支持计划资助（2012-318）