In the present study, the effect of standardized Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr. (fingerroot) ethanol extract on exercise endurance was investigated in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells and C57BL/6J mice. Standardized B. pandurata ethanol extract (BPE) increased mitochondrial mass and stimulated the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) in vitro. BPE also elevated the mRNA expression of key factors of mitochondrial biogenesis and function, which are activated by PGC-1α, such as estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1), and mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam). In animal models, both normal and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice treated with BPE ran much longer than their respective controls. In addition, BPE increased the protein expressions of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), PGC-1α, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ), which are stimulated by exercise. These results indicate that B. pandurata could be a potential nutraceutical candidate for enhancing exercise endurance based on its mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise-mimicking effects.
Keywords: Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr; PGC-1α; exercise endurance; fiber-type switching; mitochondrial biogenesis.