6. Pharmacological Effects of Velvet Antler

The documented effects of velvet antler in studies with laboratory animals are numerous, generated mainly from the former Soviet Union, as well as Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and recently Canada. Much of the Russian work is concerned with the extracts of pantocrin or rantarin.

The reported pharmacological effects and evidence for bioactivity include the following:

• stimulating and tonic effects
• androgenic/gonadotrophic effects
• haemotopoietic effects
• hypotensive and cardiovascular effects
• anti-stress effects
• growth-stimulating effects
• retardation of aging
• accelerated recovery from injury
• anti-tumor effects
• anti-cholesterol effects

The biological activity is highly correlated with several of the extract components including pentose sugars, free amino acids, free fatty acids and phospholipids. The Russian extract pantocrin has demonstrated hypotensive effect in animals under anesthesia. The effect is transient, causing a drop in arterial pressure of up to 50%. The hypotesive effects of the alcohol extract pantocrine are likely due to the presence of lysophophtidyl cholines.

Some further evidence of potent pharmacological activity of velvet antler or antler preparations include evidence that treatment with velvet antler can protect against shock or stress. For example, Kang (1970) reported that antler pre-treatment has reduced cell degradation in rats subjected to heat stress, cold stress or electric shock. Yudin and Dubryakov (1974) reported that rantarine alleviated the adverse effects of stress in normal stress-related responses such as hypertrophy of the adrenals, involution of the thymus gland and reductions in the weight of the liver and kidneys when laboratory animals were administered the extract.

Wang et al. 1988 claims that it is the polysaccharide content that is responsible for the anti-ulcer effects of velvet antler preparations. Kim and Lim (1977) cited Russian studies showing that treatment of patients with rantarin prior to surgery for gastrointestinal tumors resulted in reduced stress responses in rantarin-treated patients. Velvet antler treated rats have also been shown to better tolerate carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage with some evidence of different responses with velvet of different sources, presumably due to the preparations being from velvet harvested at different stages of growth. Beubenick (1986) mentioned that an extract from the growing antler tip section facilitates healing of epidermal wounds in rats. Thus from a variety of sources, there would appear to be good evidence for the efficacy of velvet antler preparations in the treatment and alleviation of stress related conditions.

In Korea, a study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of velvet antler on blood cholesterol levels in rats. The blood cholesterol level was significantly reduced in the rat when the diet was supplemented with velvet antler. In addition, body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency remained unchanged, proving lowered cholesterol levels were not due to these factors. Korean researchers have determined that feeding velvet antler to broiler chickens resulted in a small but significant increase in growth rate and food conversion efficiency over an 8 week period. Interestingly, the weight of the testes was significantly increased while the thyroid weight was decreased.

Studies in Japan (Wang et al. 1988) have shown marked effects of velvet antler preparations on biochemical parameters related to aging in senescence-accelerated mice (SAM), a model for senility. The hot water extract of velvet antler was administered for 8 days. Treated mice showed significant improvements in parameters normally associated with senility, including an increase in plasma testosterone. The effects were generally observed only in the SAM strain and not in the control strain of mice, suggesting that velvet preparation may exert an anti-aging effect in senile animals.

Wang et al. (1988) demonstrated that mice subjected to chloroform damage to the liver that is caused by an increase in free radicals could be alleviated by treatment with velvet antler. Further studies (Wang et al. 1988) revealed a direct effect on the rate of protein synthesis in the liver and kidney apparently mediated by an increase in RNA polymerase activity (RNA polymerase regulates RNA transcription from nuclear DNA). The studies carried out by Wang and his associates (1988 a,b,c) appear to be careful, well thought out and very credible. These studies provide a good starting point for further work in this area. Effects such as those reported by Wang et al. (1988b) in the kidney (and in the liver) are also produced by androgens, again suggesting that some more intensive research directed towards the steroid-like activities of velvet antler preparations would be beneficial.

Prostaglandins discovered in velvet antler have been recognized as anti-inflammatory components that reduce the body’s reaction to injury, swelling, infection, pain and arthritis. Also, the collagen in velvet has been demonstrated as a healing agent when ingested and when applied as a topical skin treatment. Studies conducted in China on an extract of antler have shown anti-inflammatory properties by reducing acute and chronic inflammation in rats. The extract reduced ascorbic acid and cholesterol contents in the adrenal glands and decreased the serum hydrocortisone level in rats. The results of these studies indicate that the antler contains anti-inflammatory and other agents that are beneficial for reducing the body’s response to arthritis and injury and cardiovascular health.

In biochemical studies conducted at the Oriental Medicine Research Center of the Kitasato Institute in Tokyo, Japan, polysaccharides have been identified in velvet antler that tend to reduce the blood’s tendency to clot and to thin the blood. This effect indicates that antler would contribute to improved circulation, decreased risk of stroke and improved general cardiovascular health.

Japanese researchers have also investigated the effects of pantocrine on the recovery of rats and rabbits from an induced whiplash-type injury. Pantocrine treatment enhanced glycolysis in nervous tissue, an effect actually specific to neural tissue (Takikawa et al. 1972 a,b). There is also support for such effects from double-blind study in humans suffering from cervical injuries, where pantocrine treatment aided recovery (Uelki et al. 1973).

Li and Wang (1990) cited Chinese studies showing that treatment of rats with a velvet antler extract resulted in marked increases in the numbers of monocytes, suggesting the presence of components that might affect the immune system. In New Zealand, researchers have found that extracts from velvet antler have reduced tumor cell growth (Suttie et al. 1994) and may in the future be utilized in the fight against cancer. Anti-tumor activity of antler and antler fermented in Bacillus P-92 were demonstrated in mice. Fermentation increases the amount of free amino acids, polypeptides and other compounds that produce healthful effects. The survival rate of mice with tumors increased from 25 to 40 percent. The neutrophil levels in the mice were increased 2 to 3 fold for antler and 3 to 4 fold for fermented antler. The higher levels of neutrophils increased the body’s ability to resist injury and disease. Results suggest that fermentation increases some of the health benefits of velvet antler.

Recently, Canadian researchers at the University of Alberta, have demonstrated that the glycosaminoglycans in the water soluble fractions of velvet antlers have growth promoting effects on cells (Sunwoo and Sim 1996). The researchers at the University of Alberta observed a number of interim results from the consumption of velvet antler extracts in addition to enhanced cell and whole animal growth including; anti–stress and anti-inflammatory properties, increases in HDL (desirable) cholesterol and increases in red blood cell counts (Sim et al. 1995a, Sim et al. 1995b, Sunwoo, 1988, Sunwoo et al. 1995, Sunwoo et al. 1997, Sunwoo and Sim 1996).

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