title: Antioxidant property of an ethanol extract of the stem of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten.
abstract: An ethanol extract of the stem of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OFS) was assessed to determine the mechanism(s) of its antioxidant activity. The ethanol extract exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation in a thiocyanate assay system. In addition, the OFS extract showed dose-dependent free-radical scavenging activity, including DPPH radicals, superoxide anions (O(2)(*-)), and hydroxyl radicals (*OH), using different assay systems. The OFS ethanol extract was also found to be effective in protecting plasmid DNA against the strand breakage induced by hydroxyl radicals in a Fenton's reaction mixture. Furthermore, the extract showed significant (p < 0.01) dose-dependent protection of mouse splenocytes against glucose oxidase-mediated cytotoxicity. Finally, the OFS extract was characterized as containing a high amount of phenolics (180.3 mg/g), which might be the active compounds responsible for the antioxidant properties of the OFS extract.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences and The Research Center for Bioactive Materials, Chonbuk National University, Chonju 561-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Chae
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hak-Ryul
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D000431:Ethanol; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D029747:Opuntia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013481:Superoxides
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013481:Superoxides; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D000431:Ethanol