title: Free radical scavenging and antioxidant enzymes activation of polysaccharide extract from Nostoc sphaeroides.
abstract: Nostoc sphaeroides Kuetzing has been used as a traditional medicine in China to treat a variety of ailments. This research identified the antioxidant activities of polysaccharide extract from Nostoc sphaeroides. The extract, which contains 46.2% carbohydrates, exhibited an effective scavenging capability on superoxide radical, hydroxyl radicals in non site-specific as well as site-specific assays, and also performed lipid peroxidation inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Polysaccharide extract had no 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging potential at all test concentrations. Activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in human embryo kidney 293 cells were increased effectively when Nostoc sphaeroides extract was applied. These results suggested that the use of N. sphaeroides in treating ailments may be based on the antioxidant capacities of polysaccharide composition.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zheng-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xin-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D046937:Nostoc / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase