Food antioxidants

In  the  present  study,  leaf  and  stem  of  Gloriosa  superba  L.  were
selected  to  evaluate  its  antioxidant  and  antibacterial  potential.  The
extraction was done by a cold percolation method using solvents like
hexane,  ethyl  acetate  and  methanol.  The  antioxidant  activity  was
evaluated using antioxidant assays like superoxide radical scavenging
assay,  Ferric  reducing  antioxidant  power  and  reducing  capacity
assessment.  Total  phenol  and  flavonoid  content  was  measured  by
Folin-  ciocalteu’s  reagent  and  aluminium  chloride  colorimetric
method respectively. The antibacterial activity was done by an agar
well  diffusion  method  against  four  Gram  positive  and  four  Gram
negative  bacteria.  The  methanol  extract  of  leaf  and  stem  showed
highest  FRAP  activity  and  highest  reducing  capacity assessment
respectively.  There  was  a  direct  correlation  between  total  phenolic
content  and  antioxidant  activity.  Gram  positive  bacteria  were  more
susceptible  than  Gram  negative  bacteria.  Methanolic extract  of  leaf
showed best antioxidant and antibacterial activity  and can be further
exploited as a natural source of antioxidant and antimicrobial.

Objective: The present study aimed to the isolation and
characterization of phytochemicals from tissue cultures of Arnebia
hispidissima. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their
antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
Materials and Methods: Six derivatives of alkannin and shikonin
were isolated and characterized by using various physical and
spectroscopic techniques from callus tissue of A. hispidissima. The
callus tissue was generated by using Murashige and Skoog culture
medium. The isolated compounds were assayed for DPPH-radical,
reducing power, superoxide anion and metal chelating scavenging
and antimicrobial activities by adopting well established methods.
Results: The observed results revealed that deoxyshikonin showed
maximum inhibition (290.20±0.440%) to DPPH-radical scavenging
assay and shikonin demonstrated higher reducing ability
(498.32±0.431%). Similarly, the propionylalkannin and
acetylshikonin possessed moderate to maximum superoxide
(345.45±0.632%) and metal chelating abilities (264.76±0,531%).
Moreover, effective antimicrobial activity was also demonstrated by
all the isolated derivatives of alkannin and shikonin.
Conclusion: The results of present study suggested that the isolated
compounds demonstrated modern antioxidant and high antimicrobial
activities. Therefore, further investigations need to be carried out to
isolate new phytochemicals from tissues cultures and screening for
other different biological and pharmacological activities.

Alocasia indica (Araceae) is traditionally used in the treatment of abdomen and spleen related disorders. The edible tuber part of the plant is a very common vegetable among Indian people though maximum focus of research was done with the non-edible leaf part of the plant. In this study, ethanolic and aqueous extract of A. indica tuber were prepared to evaluate in-vitro antioxidant potential, in-vivo hepatoprotective activity and GCMS analysis of the extract. In-vitro analyses such as phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity were done using standard spectrophotometric method and in-vivo antioxidant activity was evaluated by using carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic injuries in male Albino Wister rats. GCMS analysis was done by Perkin-Elmer Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Biochemical analysis showed presence of various phytochemical compounds e.g. alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponin, tannins as well as SOD and catalase enzyme activity in both ethanolic and aqueous extract. Ethanolic extract showed higher phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity than aqueous extract. Ethanolic extract also have more potent antioxidant activity as evidenced by 2.5, 1.2, 1.13 and 1.42 fold lower IC50 were found in  the extract than aqueous extract for DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide radical and superoxide radical scavenging activity respectively. GCMS analysis of ethanolic extract showed estra-1,3,5 (10)-trien-17-one, 3-hydroxy-6-methoxy, o-methyloxime as major component, which is phytosterol in nature. Ethanolic extract also showed potent hepatoprotective activity in in vivo study. The results indicated the potential use of strong antioxidant properties of A. indica tuber for therapeutic or pharmaceutical applications in future.

The present investigation was carried out to determine the phytochemical constituents and their localization histochemically for two endangered plants of Western Ghats such as Hoya wightii ssp. palniensis and Elaeocarpus recurvatus. The antioxidant content of different plant parts and their free radical scavenging activity were also analyzed. This study provides referential pharmaco-botanical and phytochemical information for the conservational importance of these endangered plants.

The present study was carried out to compare the potential of green and ripen fruits aqueous extract against antileishmanial, larvicidal, antioxidant and brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay. A general antileishmanial, larvicidal, antioxidant and cytotoxic assays were performed at different concentrations. The green fruits expressed significant activity against L. tropica (LC 50 =0.41µg/mL), while the ripe fruits showed less activity (LC 50 =8227.51µg/mL). Upon larvicidal activity against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, the green fruits extract expressed excellent results with LC 50 value 67.65µg/mL while ripe fruits showed less activity with LC 50 value 7171.18µg/mL. Similarly, for cytotoxicity assay for green and ripe fruits the LC 50 value obtained were 18.07µg/mL and 530.2µg/mL, respectively. The result for antioxidant potential showed that only the green fruits has some antioxidant potential (IC 50 232.23µg/mL) compared to ripe fruits (>1000µg/mL) against the reference drug (ascor...

Objective: To  screen  the  bioactive  compound  of Bixa  orellana L.
seed extract and evaluating the antioxidant potential, reducing power,
DNA protection ability and anti-proliferative activity against Hep3B
cancer cell line. Methods: Bixa orellana L. seed extracts of different
solvents i.e. petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (CE), acetone (AE),
methanol (ME) and water (WE) extract were screened for the phytobioactive compounds. Rapid free radical antioxidant screening and
hydroxyl  radical  scavenging  assay  were  done  by  DPPH  Dot  blot
method and by using safranin respectively. Reducing power assay
was done by ferric chloride method. DNA damage protective ability
was evaluated by Fenton reagent method and anti-proliferative ability
against  Hep3B  cells  were  carried  out  by  MTT  (Thiazolyl  blue
tetrazolium  bromide)  assay. Results:  The  screening  of  bioactive
compound  shows  the  presence  of  alkaloids,  saponins,  flavonoids,
phytosterols,  diterpenes,  carotenoids,  tannins  and  phenolic
compounds. All extracts scavenged the DPPH free radicals indicated
by discoloration of purple color background to yellow-white spot. All
extract  showed  the  reducing  power  ability  in  a  dose  dependent
manner by reducing the ferric chloride. Hydroxyl radical scavenging
and DNA protection ability was maximum for PE extract.PE extract
shows the anti-proliferative activity against Hep3B cell line and IC50
values were found to be 78.11 µg/ml and 70.86µg/ml for 24 and 48h
respectively. Conclusions: These  results  suggest  that Bixa  orellana
seeds have a good antioxidant potential, DNA protective ability and
anti-proliferative effect. Further studies  are necessary  for detailed
chemical characterization and better understanding of their biological
activities of the most active ingredients.

A great many epidemiological studies indicate that a diet rich in flavonoids from vegetables and fruits intake appear to be inversely related to coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancers mortality. Regular moderate consumption of wine can contribute to this phenomenon. Flavonoids in wine and food have been shown to be antioxidant and anti-aggregant in vitro and could indeed help protect against coronary disease. Thus, flavonoids may partly explain the protective effects of the Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetable, fruit and wine against CHD or cancers. The first step in evaluating this hypothesis is to create a catechins-food composition table. Fruits and vegetables as: plum, apples, strawberries, cherry and others berries, lentil, chocolate, beans, contains good amount of catechins and procyanidins with a maximum observed until 49 mg/100 g for plum to 157 mg/100 g for broad bean. Grapes contains catechins and procyanidins in seeds and skins. For red wine, the consumption of 180 mL for which the mean catechin and procyanidin concentration is 557.9 mg/L gives a mean daily intake of 100.4 mg of these compounds. This reasoning applied to each type of wine (red, white and ros e) for regular (daily), moderate (180 mL) consumption gives estimations of catechin and procyanidin intake of 100.4 mg for red wines, 2.7 mg for white wines and 3.1 mg for ros e wines. Green and black tea provide also catechins, respectively, until 42 and 25 mg/100 mL. A second step consists to determine to what extent each of these foodstuffs contribute to antioxidant flavonoids in the blood. Which type of diet contributes most to plasma concentration of catechin and procyanidins metabolites. If catechins monomers: (+)catechin and ())-epicatechin are absorbed with formation of specific metabolites; the metabolism of procyanidins is actually unclear and more research is needed concerning this class of flavonoids. If, as reported, antioxidant flavonoids, especially catechin and procyanidins, have a significant protective effect against CHD red wine and some fruits and vegetables, owing to their flavonoids, may provide the highest protection among all the Mediterranean foodstuffs which have been tested.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of major phytoconstituents of three important and wildly growing medicinal plants of forests of Punjab region in India for their possible protective effect against focal cerebral ischaemia and associated cerebral infarction. Ajugarin I I, Punarnavine and Marmesinin obtained from Ajuga bracteosa, Boerhaavia diffusa and Aegle marmelos respectively were used in the present protocol. Cerebral ischaemia was induced in mice using transient middle cerebral artery occlusion method. Evaluation of infarct volume and histomorphology was performed. Authenticity of stroke was evaluated by measuring neurological deficit score. A standard neuroprotective agent edavarone was used as control. Cerebral ischaemia resulted in infarction as evidenced by histopathology of the cerebral cortex sections of the animals and a subsequent increase in the neurological deficit score. Administration of the medicinal substances resulted in a significant reduction in the infarct volume and neurological deficit score. The results indicate the possible protective potential of selected phytoconstituents in cerebral ischaemia induced stroke.