Oxidative Stress Evaluation in Cancer-Induced Mice Treated with Ruta graveolens L. Stem lectins

Abstract

Abstract:The production of free radicals is a natural process in aerobic organisms due to the mitochondrial activity. Usually the cells have several mechanisms for scavenging those free radicals, but, in several pathologic processes, such as cancer, those free radicals increase their production, making it impossible to sustain the system stable, generating the condition called oxidative stress. Ruta graveolens L. (Rue) is a plant commonly used in traditional medicine, mainly as antiinflamatory; this has been related to some organic components, such as Rutin, but there hasn't been any lectin studies in Rue stem. Lectins are glycoproteins of non-enzymatic and no immune origin, able to bind to simple carbohydrates, which lets them bind selectively to malignant cells against normal cells, killing them via apoptosis and reducing the free radicals level. In this study we intended to characterize rue stem lectins as those weren't reported yet. Also, the anticancer and antioxidant activity of these lectins was evaluated, Rue stem lectins were extracted using a saline solution and semipurified to obtain an enriched extract and administrated to nickel oxide treated mice. Oxidative stress was cuantified using the tiobarbituric acid (TBARS) method to quantify Malondialdehyde (MDA), the Griess method to cuantify Nitrites and enzymatic activity of catalase were cuantified in liver. In this study was found that rue stem lectins are useful as a therapeutic auxiliar, considering that its ratio of antioxidant activity is limited, being a prooxidant agent at high concentrations.