Several antioxidant compounds have been previously identified from sword brake fern (Pteris ensiformis Burm.) by DPPH bleaching and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) analyses. Among the isolates, 7-O-caffeoylhydroxymaltol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and hispidin 4-O-beta- D-glucopyranoside [6-(3,4-dihydroxystyryl)-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside-2-pyrone] were two new compounds. The aim of this study is to elucidate the possible effect of the aqueous extract of sword brake fern (SBF) and these two compounds in preventing atherosclerosis. The results demonstrated that SBF and these two compounds strongly inhibited Cu2+-mediated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances assay (TBARS), conjugated diene production, and relative electrophoretic mobility. The commercial antioxidant dl-alpha-tocopherol showed lower antioxidant activity than these two compounds at the same molecular concentration. SBF and these two compounds also suppressed N-formylmethionyl-leucylphenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). These findings indicate that sword brake fern may prevent atherosclerosis via inhibition of both LDL oxidation and ROS production.

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