Allium hookeri Enhances Muscular Endurance of Mice by Increasing Muscle Cross-Sectional Area

Despite the known physiological effects of Allium hookeri Thwaites (A. hookeri) on metabolism, the effects of ingestion of the extract on hematological parameters and exercise capacity are largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis that water extracts of A. hookeri root (WEAH) would improve hematological parameters and promote exercise capacity. The intake of WEAH-containing feed significantly reduced the weight of white adipose tissue and the amount of total cholesterol in the blood, but it did not affect the body weight of mice. WEAH intake enhanced the muscular endurance of mice in treadmill endurance tests. The crosssectional areas of muscle fibers in the gastrocnemius muscle of the WEAH-fed mice were larger than those in the control mice. WEAH promoted myoblast myogenesis by increasing the expression of the myogenic protein myosin heavy chain 3 and myotube formation. Taken together, our results suggest that A. hookeri may be valuable in the development of preventive and therapeutic medicines for sarcopenia as well as in providing basic knowledge of muscular functions.