Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant Capacity and Anti-Oxidative Stress Potential of South American Fabaceae Desmodium tortuosum

Abstract

It has been proposed that oxidative stress is a pathogenic mechanism to induce cytotoxicity and to cause cardiovascular and neuronal diseases. At present, natural compounds such as plant extracts have been used to reduce the cytotoxic effects produced by agents that induce oxidative stress. Our study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and cytoprotective capacity of Desmodium tortuosum (D. tortuosum) extract in the co- and pre-treatment in EA.hy926 and SH-SY5Y cell lines subjected to oxidative stress induced by tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BOOH). Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), caspase 3/7 activity, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and molecular expression of oxidative stress biomarkers (SOD2, NRF2 and NFκB1) and cell death (APAF1, BAX, Caspase3) were all evaluated. It was observed that the D. tortuosum extract, in a dose-dependent manner, was able to reduce the oxidative and cytotoxicity effects induced by t-BOOH, even normalized to a dose of 200 µg/mL, which would be due to the high content of phenolic compounds mainly phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids and other antioxidant compounds. Finally, these results are indicators that the extract of D. tortuosum could be a natural alternative against the cytotoxic exposure to stressful and cytotoxic chemical agents.

Cytoprotective–Antioxidant Effect of Brunfelsia grandiflora Extract on Neuron-like Cells

“…In a situation of long-lasting overproduction of ROS, namely oxidative stress, there might be excessive damage to cellular macromolecules that can irrevocably compromise cell viability, such as when t-BOOH induces cellular stress [36]. In this model of oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells, we report that concentrations of 25-200 µg/mL of phenolic compounds of cocoa [5], and of Desmodium tortuosum extract (25-200 µg/mL) [6], protect neuron-like cells from oxidative stress.…”

“…We have recently standardized an oxidative stress assay in neuron-like cells by challenging them with the potent oxidative inducer t-BOOH [5,6]. In a reaction assisted by metal ions, organic peroxide t-BOOH decomposes to other peroxyl and alkoxyl groups that may produce ROS [35].…”

“…Two different conditions, co-and pretreatments, were assayed to systematically evaluate the antioxidant cytoprotection of the B. grandiflora extract. The cotreatment assay was performed for 22 h with 100 µM t-BOOH plus the different extract concentrations of B. grandiflora, and the pretreatment assay was performed with concentrations of extract for 18 h, which were then washed and submitted to a new medium containing 200 µM t-BOOH for 4 h [6,14]. The reason for using two different concentrations of t-BOOH, 100 and 200 µM, is the distinct length of the treatment with the prooxidant, 22 h in the case of the cotreatment and 4 h in the case of the pretreatment.…”

“…The reason for using two different concentrations of t-BOOH, 100 and 200 µM, is the distinct length of the treatment with the prooxidant, 22 h in the case of the cotreatment and 4 h in the case of the pretreatment. Previously, we determined that the optimal t-BOOH concentrations to test potential cytoprotection in both conditions, co-and pretreatment, were 100 and 200 µM t-BOOH, respectively [6].…”

“…This cell line, suitable for biological, biochemical, and electrophysiological investigation, has been recently validated for studies about neuronal aging [4]. In fact, regarding the use of this cell line as a model of neuronal cell culture, we recently demonstrated its chemoprotective effect against an oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration of an aqueous extract of cocoa [5] and an extract from the South American fabaceae Desmodium tortuosum rich in flavonoids [6].…”