Determination of the Antioxidant Activity of Plants from Northeast Mexico

Abstract

Six methanol extracts from different parts of plants used in northeast Mexico as general health supplements were examined for their potential as antioxidants. The plants evaluated were: Turnera diffusa Wild. (Turneraceae), Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth (Cucurbitaceae), Flourensia cernua D.C. (Asteraceae), Selaginella pilifera A. Braun (Selaginellaceae), Juglans mollis Engelm. (Juglandaceae) and Centaurea americana Nutt. (Asteraceae alt. Compositae). Antioxidant properties of these extracts were evaluated by means of different assays, including the l,l-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical test by TLC and spectrophotometry, inhibition of xanthine oxidase (XO) activity, and total phenolics content. Five plants showed high scavenging potential; their total phenolics content was also high. The extracts from four plants inhibited the activity of XO. Two of the most promising plants, T. diffusa and J. mollis, did not show cytotoxicity. Considering that antioxidants prevent lipid peroxidation in foods and help in the treatment and prevention of degenerative illness, these two species are good candidates to be considered and further evaluated as natural additives in foods to provide protection against oxidative degradation.

Phytochemical Characterization of an Endemic Plant Used as Foodstuff in Turkey: Centaurea Urvillei Subsp. Stepposa and Its Antioxidant Properties

“…Sample solution (0.5 mL) was added to premixed reaction mixture containing CuCl 2 (1 mL, 10 mM), neocuproine (1 mL, 7.5 mM) and NH 4 Ac buffer (1 mL, 1 M, pH 7.0). Similarly, a blank was prepared by adding sample solution (0.5 mL) to premixed reaction mixture (3 mL) without CuCl 2 .…”

“…Oxidative stress is involved in the process of aging and various chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis and eye disease. Antioxidants are involved in the defense mechanism of the organism against the pathologies associated with the oxidative stress 4 . As a result of this situation, synthetic antioxidants are used as effective for inhibiting oxidation in foods and other products; however, safety concerns restricted due to their toxicological effects on various species and suspected carcinogenic potential.…”

Assessment of effect of hydroalcoholic and decoction methods on extraction of antioxidants from selected Indian medicinal plants

“…There is no single, widely acceptable assay method for evaluating antioxidant capacity applicable to different compounds and different plant extracts, but the most commonly used methods for measuring antioxidant activity are those that involve the generation of free radical species which are then neutralized by antioxidant compounds [24] . However, it is essential to use more than one method to evaluate antioxidant capacity of plant materials because of the complex nature of phytochemicals [25,26] . Considering the above, in the present study, six plants which are traditionally used in treating various diseases and disorders are selected to evaluate their antioxidant potential.…”

Flourensia cernua DC: A Plant from Mexican Semiarid Regions with a Broad

“…The repellency effect incited by the hexane fraction may be due to the volatile substances borneol and camphor it contains. Salazar et al (2008) in a study carried out in order to evaluate the antioxidant potential of six species of the Northeast of Mexico, reports that leaves, stem, root, and flowers of F. cernua possess antioxidant activity, due to the content of phenolic compounds showing up in the different parts of the plant. Stems and roots of this species report the highest contents of phenolic compounds.…”