Evaluation of Antihypoxic Activity of Kojic Acid in Mice

Hypoxia occurs especially in ischemia and heart attack, and finally can lead to death because of oxidative stress due to production of reactive oxygen species. Compounds with antioxidant activity can exhibit antihypoxic property. Kojic acid has good antioxidant activities. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no report about the protective effect of this compound against hypoxia-induced lethality in mice.

Protective effects of kojic acid against hypoxia-induced lethality in 80 mice were evaluated by three experimental models of hypoxia including asphyctic, haemic and circulatory.

Antihypoxic activity of kojic acid was pronounced in asphyctic model and at the dose of 125 mg/kg, it prolonged the survival time in the negative control group (P<0.01). At this dose, it showed higher activity than positive control group (phenytoin) (P<0.01). Kojic acid showed marked protective activities in circulatory model. At the does of 62.5 mg/kg, it prolonged survival time which was significantly higher than those in the control groups (P<0.01). In haemic model, it significantly prolonged survival time only at the dose of 125 mg/kg (P<0.01). 

Kojic acid showed significant protective effects against hypoxia in some animal models. Antioxidant activity of this compound may be proposed as a mechanism for its antihypoxic activities.