No abstract

This study was undertaken to estimate antioxidant and anti-hemolytic activi-ties of different parts (leaves, stem and heart) of the artichoke (Cynara scoly-mus L) cooked with different methods. The leaves, stems and hearts were used either raw or cooked according to four cooking methods: evaporated, boiled, oven-baked and sautéed. On the different extracts prepared from artichoke parts (raw or cooked), total polyphenols and flavonoids contents, anti-oxidant and anti-hemolytic activities were evaluated. According to the four cooking methods, the polyphenol and flavonoids contents of baked leaves were the highest. Polyphenol contents were higher in boiled stems while flavonoids contents were elevated in evaporated stems. Evaporated and boiled hearts exhibited the best polyphenols and flavonoids contents. The three parts of the artichoke had a scavenger effect against the DPPH radical and baked leaves showed the higher activity compared to raw leaves. The evaporated, sautéed and boiled cooking modes indicated reduced H2O2 entrapment activity by 41%, 42% and 37%, respectively compared to raw artichoke. In addition, cooked hearts had reduced H2O2 trapping activity compared to the raw heart. Compared to raw products, NO trapping activity increased in sautéed leaves and hearts while this activity was smaller in boiled leaves, stems and hearts. Boiled and sautéed leaves increased the percentage of inhibition of hemolysis of human erythrocyte by 68% and 65%, respectively, compared to raw leaves. The present results demonstrated that common cooking methods applied to artichoke have increased the nutrition-al quality of this vegetable and that effect depends upon the vegetable part.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the aqueous extract of Artemisia arborescens to reduce the effects of Aluminium chloride (AlCl3) on lipid parameters, blood pressure and on histological archi-tecture of sections from liver and heart of rats. Forty-eight female Wistar rats weighting 125±25g were randomly divided into four equal groups of twelve rats each. The animals were given a dose of (AlCl3) (20mg.k-1.bw) three times a week intraperitoneally and the aqueous extract of A.arborescens orally (200mg.L-1) for 06 weeks. Total cholesterol, triglycer-ides, phospholipids, HDLc, LDLc, and LDH were measured in serum and total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, TBARS in liver. The blood pressure was also recorded. Results revealed that AlCl3 caused an increase in total cholesterol and triglycerides levels, LDLc, Tchol/HDLc Ratio and LDH in serum and total cholesterol, triglycerides and TBARS in liver; however, HDL in se-rum and phospholipids in serum and hepatic tissue were decreased. AlCl3 caused elevation of the diastolic and systolic arterial blood pressure of rats and caused hepatocytic degenerations, necrosis and severe vascular conges-tion in liver, in addition to disruption of the myocardial fibers, necrosis of myocardial cells and congestion of inter-muscular capillaries in heart, while the aqueous extract of A.arborescens ameliorates these effects near to their normal values. This study suggested that the aqueous extract of A.arborescens showed lipid-lowering and hypotensive effects that protect the liver and heart against aluminium toxicity and that could possibly restore the altered hepatic and cardiac cells organization in rat intoxicated with aluminium.