Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of anti-hypoxia components from Saussurea involucrata. Method: The BALB/c mouse models of normobaric hypoxia

decompression hypoxia and chemistry poisoning hypoxia were developed to evaluate the survival time of mice in hypoxia

and the biochemical indicators

including superoxide dismutase (SOD)

malondialdehyde (MDA)

lactic acid (LD) and lactate dehydrogenase correlated with anti-hypoxia were measured. Result: Compared to the model group

the ethanol extract of S.involucrata at the dosage of 500

250 mg ·kg-1 dose-dependently enhanced the survival time of mice in different hypoxia models.At the same time

they could increase SOD (126.31±19.18)

(120.45±13.78) U ·mL-1 and lactate dehydrogenase LDH activities (11 334±212.3)

(10 882±173.5) U ·L-1

and decrease the content of MDA (3.21±0.52)

(3.52±0.33) μmol ·L-1

and LD (2.37±0.44)

(2.92±0.36) nmol ·L-1 in blood plasma of mice under a simulated decompression and hypoxia conditions. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that the ethanol extract of S.involucrata possessed notable anti-hypoxic activity.The mechanism may be related to decrease the level of LD

promote the process of anaerobic glycolysis and improve the metabolism of oxygen radicals to the body.