Evaluation of antioxidant activities of various solvent extracts of Carissa opaca fruits

The chloroform and aqueous fractions of Carissa opaca fruit, a traditional medicinal fruit in Pakistan possessed a high amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents as compare to other solvent fractions with potent antioxidant activities in scavenging DPPH, superoxides, hydroxyl, hydrogen peroxide, ABTS radicals, and had strong iron chelating activity. On the other hand, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest inhibition of β-carotene linoleic acid peroxidation and phosphomolybdate assay. A high correlation coefficient existed between EC₅₀ values of DPPH, superoxides, hydroxyl, hydrogen peroxide, ABTS radicals, total phenolics and flavonoids, but a non significant correlation was found in the case of iron chelaters, β-carotene and phosphomolybdate assay. This study verified that the chloroform and aqueous fractions have strong antioxidant activities which were correlated with its high level of phenolics and flavonoids. These fractions can be used as a source of potential antioxidant or functional food material.     

The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant properties of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed oil

The antioxidant capacity of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed oil was investigated with a number of established in vitro assays and in an in vivo study of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced oxidative stress in mice. The results showed that DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferrous ion chelating activity, reducing power and inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity all increased with increasing concentrations of seabuckthorn seed oil. Moreover, the EC₅₀ values of seabuckthorn seed oil from the hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical scavenging assays were 2.63, 2.16 and 0.77 mg/ml, respectively. In the in vivo study, seabuckthorn seed oil inhibited the toxicity of CCl₄, as seen from the significantly increased activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. The GSH content in the liver was also increased, whereas hepatic malondialdehyde was reduced. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that seabuckthorn seed oil has significant potential as a natural antioxidant agent.     

Antioxidant activities of extract and fractions from Tuber indicum Cooke & Massee

The antioxidant activities of ethanolic crude extract (ECE) and its four different solvent sub-fractions (namely, petroleum ether fraction (PEF), ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), n-butyl alcohol fraction (BAF) and the rest fraction (RF)) from Tuber indicum were investigated using several in vitro antioxidant assays. ECE and four sub-fractions possessed different antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities in different assays. BAF showed the most potent radical-scavenging activity on DPPH radicals, superoxide anion radicals and reducing power, with EC₅₀ values of 1.38, 0.96, 16.0 mg/ml, respectively. EAF exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical-scavenging and ferrous ion chelating activities with EC₅₀ values of 3.31 and 0.70 mg/ml, respectively. The total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) were also determined. BAF had the highest TP and TF contents, and the next was EAF. These results showed that the amounts of phenolics and flavonoids were in accordance with higher effectiveness in scavenging radicals and chelating ferrous ions.     

马兰提取物抗氧化性研究

目的：考查马兰中水提取物和乙醇提取物抗氧化活性。方法：分别以水和乙醇为提取液,探讨马兰中水提取物和乙醇提取物的抗氧化活性,包括还原能力以及清除DPPH自由基、羟自由基、超氧阴离子自由基和H2O2的能力。 结果：提取物主要成分为黄酮类化合物。马兰水提取物的抗氧化活性为：超氧阴离子自由基(IC50 2.2μg/mL)＞H2O2(IC50 2.8μg/mL)＞羟自由基(IC50 5.6μg/mL)＞DPPH自由基(IC50 8.5μg/mL) ＞金属螯合性(IC50 28.0μg/mL)。而马兰乙醇提取物的抗氧化活性为：H2O2(IC50 2.0μg/mL) ＞超氧阴离子自由基(IC50 2.1μg/mL)>羟自由基(IC50 2.5μg/mL)> DPPH自由基(IC50 5.6μg/mL) ＞金属螯合性(IC50 51.2μg/mL)。结论：马兰提取物具有较强的抗氧化活性。     

In vitro antioxidant activities of methanol extracts of five Phyllanthus species from India

In this study, the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of five plants from the genus Phyllanthus was evaluated by various antioxidant assays, including total antioxidant, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, reducing power and metal ion chelating activities. The various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene and ascorbic acid. All the extracts showed strong antioxidant activity in all the tested methods. Among the five plants Phyllanthus debilis has been found to possess the highest activity in all tested models, the activity decreased in the order Phyllanthus debilis>Phyllanthus urinaria>Phyllanthus virgatus>Phyllanthus maderaspatensis>Phyllanthus amarus. In addition to the antioxidant activity of these plants, the total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and flavonols were measured in the extracts. A correlation between the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was observed.     

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of an aqueous extract of Coleus aromaticus

The leaves of Coleus aromaticus Benth., (Lamiaceae), commonly called Indian Borage, are often eaten raw with bread and butter. The chopped leaves are also used as a substitute for sage (Salvia officinalis Linn.) in stuffing. In the present study, the antioxidant potency of freeze-dried aqueous extract of C. aromaticus was investigated, employing various established in vitro systems, such as the β-carotene-linoleate model system, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)/superoxide/nitric oxide radical scavenging, reducing power, and iron ion chelating activity. Freeze-dried aqueous extract of C. aromaticus (CAE) showed notable inhibitory activity in the β-carotene-linoleate model system. Furthermore, CAE exhibited a moderate concentration-dependent inhibition of the DPPH radical. The multiple antioxidant activity of CAE was evident as it showed significant reducing power, superoxide scavenging ability, nitric oxide-scavenging activity and also ferrous ion chelating potency. The data obtained in the in vitro models clearly establish the antioxidant potency of freeze-dried extract of C. aromaticus.     

Antioxidant properties of dried product of ‘haba-nori’, an edible brown alga, Petalonia binghamiae (J. Agaradh) Vinogradova

Dried ‘haba-nori’ Petalonia binghamiae, a brown alga, is a traditional food in the fisheries towns in Japan. To determine the antioxidant properties of the dried P. binghamiae, assays for antioxidant activities, including ferrous-reducing power, ferrous ion chelating, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging and scavenging of a superoxide anion radical-generated by non-enzymatic system were tested in this study. A water extract solution contained total phenols at about 75 μmol phloroglucinol equivalents/g dry sample and showed strong antioxidant activities in the reducing power, DPPH radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging assays. The antioxidant activities were detected in high-molecular (>100 kDa), 10–30 kDa, and low-molecular (<5 kDa) fractions and were correlated with, not only phenolic compounds, but also brown compounds. The radical- scavenging activities were increased by heat treatment at 121 °C for 1 h. These results suggest that P. binghamiae is both a useful seafood and a healthy food with antioxidant activity.     

In vitro evaluation of antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from natural and cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis

Cordyceps sinensis, one of the best known traditional Chinese medicines and health foods, has been highly valued for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and reported to have antioxidant properties. In the present study, the antioxidant activities of hot-water extracts from natural and cultured mycelia of C. sinensis were investigated and evaluated using six in vitro assays, including inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation; scavenging abilities on DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals; the reducing power and the chelating ability on ferrous ions. Among these assays, the extracts showed the best effect on the inhibition of linoleic peroxidation with the lowest IC50 values and with an inhibition rate over 90% at concentration of 0.8-1.6 mg/ml, more stable than that of α-tocopherol, a recognised natural antioxidant. The scavenging activities on superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals of the two extracts were slightly lower than that of butylated hydroxytoluene. DPPH scavenging activities of both extracts reached over 80% inhibition at 4-8 mg/ml. Both extracts showed moderate reducing power and ferrous ion chelating activity. The IC50 value of the extract from cultured mycelia in all the tests, except for linoleic acid peroxidation, was significantly lower than that of natural mycelia. There was no evident correlation between the antioxidant activity and the content of protein, polysaccharides and mannitol of extracts from C. sinensis; the antioxidant activity may be due to a combined effect of these or some other compounds. These results suggested that both the extracts from cultured and natural mycelia have direct and potent antioxidant activities and that the cultured mycelia of the fungus could be used for the antioxidant activity to reduce the human demands on the natural resources of the fungus, an endangered species.     

Antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts from Terminalia catappa leaves

Aqueous extracts were prepared from green, yellow fallen and red fallen leaves of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae) and their antioxidant activity, scavenging and chelating abilities were evaluated. Aqueous extracts from three different leaves showed high antioxidant activities and moderate scavenging abilities on hydroxyl radicals at 1 mg/ml. EC₅₀ values in antioxidant activity were 0.549-0.557 mg/ml whereas those in scavenging ability on hydroxyl radicals were 0.631-0.686 mg/ml for aqueous extracts prepared from three leaves with boiling water for 3 min. EC50 values in reducing power were 0.15-0.23 mg/ml. EC50 values in scavenging abilities on superoxide anion and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydryl radicals were 0.36-0.44 and 10.4-35.3 mg/ml, respectively. EC50 values in chelating abilities on ferrous and cupric ions were 0.41-2.50 and 8.96-9.89 mg/ml, respectively. Based on the results obtained, the aqueous extracts displayed higher antioxidant properties. Six phenolic compounds identified in the aqueous were p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid, m-coumaric acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid and gallic acid. Therefore, the aqueous extracts from three different leaves of T. catappa might be a potential antioxidant supplement for application in food products or as a drink.     

Determination of antioxidant activities of various extracts and essential oil compositions of Thymus praecox subsp. skorpilii var. skorpilii

The aim of this work is to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of separated essential oils and different solvent extracts of Thymus praecox subsp. skorpilii var. skorpilii (TPS). The ethanol, acetone, methanol, hexane, aqueous extracts and separated essential oils of TPS were assessed for their antioxidant activities. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by reduction of Mo(VI) to Mo(V), reducing power, superoxide scavenging activity, free radical-scavenging activity, metal chelating activity, linoleic acid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and peroxide scavenging activity. Essential oils were characterized in total to be 41 components, whereas 9 components were isolated by column chromatography for antioxidant activity. TPS essential oil was found to contain thymol (40.31%) and o-cymene (13.66%) as the major components. The ethanol, methanol and water extracts exerted significant free radical-scavenging activity. The methanol and water extracts displayed highest superoxide scavenging activity. The water extract has the highest total phenolics (6.211 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g DW) and flavonoids (0.809 mg quercetin/g DW).     

Antioxidant and antiproliferative capacities of phenolics purified from Phyllanthus emblica L. fruit

Phyllanthus emblica is a widely distributed tropical medicinal plant with good therapeutic properties. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, mucic acid 1,4-lactone 3-O-gallate, isocorilagin, chebulanin, chebulagic acid and mallotusinin were isolated and purified from this plant. The antioxidant activities of these compounds were evaluated by in vitro models of scavenging superoxide anion radicals, DPPH radicals and ABTS radicals, chelating ability of ferrous ion and inhibition capability of Fe (II)-induced lipid peroxidation, respectively. The results revealed that all the tested phenolics showed strong radical scavenging activity, good potency to chelate Fe²⁺ and good inhibition ability of lipid peroxidation. Amongst mallotusinin and mucic acid 1,4-lactone 3-O-gallate were reported for the first time to have antioxidant activity. In addition, the in vitro antiproliferative activities of those phenolics against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were assessed. Although the growth inhibition values induced by different phenolics on MCF-7 cell line yielded different effects, all the tested phenolics had apparent capacities of inhibiting the survival of MCF-7 human cancer cell line.     

Antioxidant activity of Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from traditional Chinese fermented foods

Eleven Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from traditional Chinese fermented foods were investigated for their in vitro scavenging activity against hydroxyl and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals, and their resistance to hydrogen peroxide. L. plantarum C88 at a dose of 10(10) CFU/ml showed the highest hydroxyl radical and DPPH scavenging activities, with inhibition rates of 44.31% and 53.05%, respectively. Resistance of intact cells to hydrogen peroxide was also found in all strains. L. plantarum C88 was the most resistant strain against hydrogen peroxide. When L. plantarum C88 was administered to senescent mice suffering oxidative stress induced by d-galactose, the serum superoxide dismutase activity, the glutathione peroxidase activity and the total antioxidant capacity in liver increased significantly, while the level of malondialdehyde in liver decreased significantly. L. plantarum C88 isolated from traditional Chinese fermented dairy tofu could be considered as a potential antioxidant to be applied in functional foods.     

Antioxidant activity of enzymatic extracts from the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida by electron spin resonance spectroscopy

Enzyme assisted extraction of Undaria pinnatifida was performed using five proteases (Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Neutrase, Trypsin and Protamex) and six carbohydrases (AMG, Dextrozyme, Maltogenase, Promozyme, Viscozyme and Celluclast) in order to acquire extracts rich in antioxidants. Antioxidant activity of the extracts was investigated using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl and superoxide radicals. Extracts exhibited strong radical scavenging activity on DPPH and hydroxyl radical, and activity increased with increasing extract concentration. In contrast to DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, extracts showed weak scavenging activity on superoxide radical. Extracts exhibited weak radical scavenging activity compared to vitamin C as a reference compound. However, they are still a good source of antioxidant materials that are safe for consumption and show water-soluble properties.     

Antioxidant activity of hydrolysates obtained from scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) and abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) muscle

Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) and abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) muscle were hydrolysed with commercially available food-grade proteases. The resulting hydrolysates showed DPPH and hydroxyl radicals scavenging abilities, reducing power, and ferrous ion chelating capacity. The antioxidant activities of hydrolysate of abalone foot muscle (HAFM) increased with increasing incubation time during the whole hydrolysis process in 180 min. Whereas, the antioxidant activities of hydrolysate of scallop adductor muscle (HSAM) increased at initial stage and peaked after 25-30 min of hydrolysis, and then gradually decreased thereafter. Compared with HAFM, HSAM with comparable hydrolysis time contained more free amino acids (FAA) and small-sized peptides (below 500 Da), which may account for the differences in antioxidant activities versus hydrolysis time curves of the two hydrolysates. The above results indicate that limited hydrolysis of proteins can increase their antioxidant activity, whereas extensive hydrolysis can decrease it.     

In vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the extract of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae of a new Citrus cultivar and its main flavonoids

To provide the base for the application of a new cultivar of Citrus reticulata Blanco, whose family is Rutaceae, a flavonoid extract of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (FEPCR), the dried rind of the ripe citrus, was obtained with 80% aq. ethanol. Total flavonoid content of FEPCR was determined by a colorimetric method. Total phenol content was estimated as gallic acid equivalents. The major constituents of FEPCR, including Hesperidin, Nobiletin and Tangeretin, were determined by HPLC analysis. The antioxidant activities of FEPCR, Hesperidin, Nobiletin and Tangeretin were evaluated by various antioxidant assays, including DPPH scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and reducing power. All samples showed antioxidant activities to some degree in all the tested methods. In addition to the antioxidant activity, the antimicrobial assay was measured as well. Six strains of microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhi and Enterobacter cloacae were used in the tests. FEPCR and Hesperidin displayed a broad antimicrobial spectrum and exerted antimicrobial effects in antimicrobial tests. But Tangeretin and Nobiletin exhibited low antimicrobial activities.     

猕猴桃根提取物体外抗氧化作用的研究

探讨猕猴桃根提取物的体外抗氧化作用.采用DPPH自由基、超氧阴离子、羟基自由基、过氧化氢和还原力的反应体系,测定猕猴桃根提取物的体外抗氧化作用,并用VC进行对照实验.实验条件下,ERHM对DPPH自由基、超氧阴离子(·O2-)、羟基自由基(·OH)、过氧化氢H2O2等均有较强的清除或抑制作用,且显示较好的量效关系,同时具有一定的还原力.其消除DPPH自由基的EC50为8.03 μg/mL,清除超氧阴离子(·O2-)的EC5o为1.28 mg/mL,抑制羟基自由基(·OH)能力可达69.4％,浓度为100 μg/mL时对过氧化氢(H2O2)的清除率为42％.猕猴桃根提取物具有较强的还原力,能有效清除DPPH和超氧阴离子自由基,并抑制羟基自由基的产生.所以,ERHM有效成分具有较为显著的抗氧化作用.     

A new flavone from antioxidant extracts of Pistacia terebinthus

Acetone and methanol extracts of the fruits of Pistacia terebinthus L. subsp. terebinthus L. were studied for their antioxidant activity by investigating their total phenolic and flavonoid contents, β-carotene bleaching potential, DPPH radical scavenging effect, scavenging activity on superoxide anion radical, reducing power, and metal chelating effect on ferrous ion. Both extracts showed very similar chemical profile by checking on TLC plates, and exhibited high scavenging activity on superoxide anion radical and DPPH radical. Due to these similarities they were combined and fractionated on a silica gel column for their constituents, and the most active three fractions in DPPH assay were purified to afford a new flavone 6′-hydroxyhypolaetin 3′-methyl ether (1) besides a group of known flavonoids apigenin, luteolin, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, quercetin, quercetagetin 3-methyl ether 7-O-glucoside, isoscutellarein 8-O-glucoside. Their structures were established by UV, UV shift reagents, and ¹H NMR spectroscopic techniques. Antioxidant activity of the new flavone was investigated by β-carotene bleaching and DPPH radical scavenging activity methods, and it showed a high activity in the first system, but not so good in the latter.     

Determination of antioxidative potential of lichen Usnea ghattensis in vitro

The study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activities of extract of Usnea ghattensis. The antioxidant activity, reducing power, superoxide anion radical scavenging and free radical scavenging activities were studied. The antioxidant activity increased with the increasing amount of extracts (2-20 mg/ml) added to the linoleic acid emulsion. Lipid peroxidation upto 73.3% was inhibited by the extract of 20 mg/ml and 39.2% by α-tocopherol at the same concentration. These effects were statistically significant (r²=0.876,P<0.01) when compared with control. However, the extract had no significant effect on superoxide anion scavenging by the PMS/NADH-NBT method. Like antioxidant activity, the reducing power and free radical scavenging activity of extract depends on concentration and increasing with increased amount of sample. The reducing power and DPPH radical-scavenging activity of U. ghattensis extract were found greater than the BHA and BHT. The results obtained in the present study indicate that U. ghattensis is a potential source of natural antioxidant.     

In vitro determination of antioxidant activity of proteins from jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum

In this study, the antioxidant activity of proteins isolated from jellyfish, Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye (R. esculentum), was determined by various antioxidant assays, including superoxide anion radical-scavenging, hydroxyl radical-scavenging, total antioxidant activity, reducing power and metal chelating activity. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), α-tocopherol, vitamin C and mannitol were used as standards in those various antioxidant activities. The crude protein (CP) and the protein fractions isolated by Sephadex chromatography, first peak (FP) and second peak (SP), had very low reductive power and metal chelating abilities compared to EDTA, but they showed strong scavenging effects on the superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and varying total antioxidant activity. FP and SP exhibited stronger scavenging effects on the superoxide anion radical than BHA, BHT or α-tocopherol. The EC₅₀ values of FP and SP were 6.12 and 0.88 μg/ml, respectively, while values EC₅₀ of BHA, BHT and α-tocopherol were 31, 61 and 88 μg/ml, respectively. CP, FP and SP showed far higher hydroxyl radical-scavenging activities than did vitamin C or mannitol. The EC₅₀ values of CP, FP and SP were 48.76, 45.42 and 1.52 μg/ml, but EC₅₀ values of vitamin C and mannitol were 1907 and 4536 μg/ml, respectively. In a β-carotene–linoleate system, SP and CP showed antioxidant activity, but lower than BHA. Of the three samples, SP had the strongest antioxidant activity. So, SP may have a use as a possible supplement in the food and pharmaceutical industries.     

Antioxidant properties of water extracts from Monascus fermented soybeans

Solid-state bioprocessing of soybean by Monascus is a biotechnological strategy to produce Monascus-fermented soybeans (MFS) with more beneficial components. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of cold and hot water extracts from MFS as compared to uninoculated soybeans. With regard to the EC₅₀ values of antioxidant activities, the effectiveness of cold water extracts was in a descending order: soybeans > MFS-31527 > MFS-31499 whereas that of the hot water extracts: soybeans ∼ MFS-31499 > MFS31527. Cold water extracts showed higher reducing power and lower scavenging ability on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals than hot water extracts. For both extracts, MFS and soybeans showed comparable effective chelating abilities on ferrous ions. Total phenols were the major naturally occurring antioxidant components found. For both extracts, soybeans were more effective in antioxidant activity and scavenging ability on DPPH radicals whereas MFS-31499 and MFS-31527 were more effective in reducing power and scavenging ability on hydroxyl radicals. Based on the results obtained, MFS-31499, MFS-31527 and soybeans were relatively effective in the antioxidant properties assayed and might be potential antioxidants for application in food products.