title: Comparing an in vitro electrochemical measurement of superoxide scavenging activity with an in vivo assessment of antioxidant potential in Chinese tonifying herbs.
abstract: The in vitro superoxide scavenging activity (as determined by electrochemical measurement) and the in vivo antioxidant potential (as determined by a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) hepatotoxicity) of methanolic extracts prepared from 10 Chinese tonifying herbs were compared. Electrochemical measurement using a cytochrome c (Cyt. c) sensor showed that all of the tested herbal extracts exhibited a medium superoxide scavenging activity of different potency, as indicated by their IC(50) values. The in vivo measurement demonstrated that 80% of the herbal extracts displayed in vivo antioxidant potential, as assessed by the percentage of protection of the activity of plasma alanine aminotransferases and the hepatic glutathione regeneration capacity under CCl(4)-intoxicated condition. Although the in vitro antioxidant activity did not correlate quantitatively with the in vivo antioxidant potential, for 8 out of 10 samples a similar tendency was found. The rapid amperometric assessment of antioxidant potential by Cyt. c sensor may offer a convenient and direct method for screening as well as the quality control of herbal products.
authors.affiliation: Analytical Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Beissenhirtz
authors.forename: Roger C H
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renneberg
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Scheller
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lisdat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D020011:Protective Agents; D013481:Superoxides; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride