title: Antioxidant activities of Swertia decussata xanthones.
abstract: The lipid peroxidation inhibitory activities of four hydroxyxanthones, isolated from the whole plant Swertia decussata, were evaluated for the first time. The most promising antioxidant among the xanthones, 1,7,8-trihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone (swertianine, 4) was also tested for its scavenging potential against DPPH and superoxide radicals. The data clearly revealed good antioxidant activity of the xanthones, especially 4 which also showed strong protection against y-ray induced pBR322 DNA damage. A comparison of the radioprotecting activities of the monomethylated tetrahydroxyxanthone 4 with that of its congener, 1,3,7-trihydroxy-8-methoxyxanthone (5) revealed that the radioprotecting activity was not affected by the position of methylation.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India.
authors.forename: Birija S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Patro
authors.forename: Gajanan J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chintalwar
authors.forename: Subrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D029967:Swertia / Q000737:chemistry*; D044004:Xanthones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D044004:Xanthones