title: Evaluation of antioxidant activity of Cassia siamea flowers.
abstract: The study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activity of alcoholic extract of Cassia siamea Lam. (Fabaceae) flowers. The extract was found to contain a large amount of polyphenols and also exhibited an immense reducing ability. At a concentration of 250 microg/ml, 96% of DPPH radicals and at 500 microg/ml, 42.7, 32.7 and 64.5% of O2-, H2O2 and NO respectively could be scavenged by C. siamea flower extract. The extract also inhibited OH radical induced oxidation of protein (BSA) and LPO in murine hepatic microsomes. The determination of metal chelating capacity of the extract indicated chelating of metal ions (Fe2+) to be a putative mechanism implicated in the inhibition of OH radical-induced BSA oxidation and LPO. C. siamea flower extract also exhibited a significant antioxidant activity in acute oxidative tissue injury animal model constituted by CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity. Oral administration of the extract at a dose of 50-150 mg/kg of body weight significantly protected from CCl4 induced elevation in AST and ALT in the serum, elevation in hepatic LPO, depletion of hepatic GSH and decrease in the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes: SOD, CAT and GPX. The extract also protected against histopathological changes produced by CCl4 such as necrosis, fatty changes, ballooning degeneration, etc. The data obtained in the present study suggests that the alcoholic extract of C. siamea flowers have potent antioxidant activity against free radicals, prevent oxidative damage to major biomolecules and afford significant protection against oxidative damage in the liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Elementology & Toxicology, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India.
authors.forename: Gurpreet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: M Sarwar
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Zoobi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jabbar
authors.forename: Kaleem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Javed
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Athar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity; D002366:Cassia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002614:Chelating Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases