title: Standardized extract of Dicksonia sellowiana Presl. Hook (Dicksoniaceae) decreases oxidative damage in cultured endothelial cells and in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aging and a variety of pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases have been associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion (O₂·⁻), hydroxyl radical (·OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation. Plant polyphenols bear radical scavenging/antioxidant activity. A phytomedicinal preparation obtained from aerial parts of Dicksonia sellowiana (Dicksoniaceae), a native plant from Central and South America, has been widely used in Brazil against asthma and presents beneficial effects in several other diseases, including cardiovascular disturbance. In this work, we investigated whether Dicksonia sellowiana, which is also known to contain high levels of polyphenols, presents antioxidant activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antioxidant activity of the hydroalcoholic extract obtained from Dicksonia sellowiana leaves (HEDS) was investigated by in vitro and in vivo tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HEDS (0.1-100 μg/mL) exhibited a strong scavenging activity against all reactive species tested (DPPH, O₂·⁻,·OH and H₂O₂; IC₅₀=6.83±2.05, 11.6±5.4, 2.03±0.4, and 4.8±0.4 μg/mL, respectively). HEDS strongly protected endothelial cells against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress by mechanisms other than increasing catalase activity. In addition, HEDS protected cell membrane from oxidative damage. HEDS, (20 and 40 mg/kg) inhibited lipid peroxidation in vivo (29.8% and 24.5%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our results, we can speculate that the traditional uses of Dicksonia sellowiana for cardiovascular diseases, asthma and skin diseases could be, at least in part, related to the potent antioxidant and endothelial protective activities of the plant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Centro Politécnico, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yanna D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Rattmann
authors.forename: Stelia C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mendéz-Sánchez
authors.forename: Ana F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Furian
authors.forename: Katia S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Paludo
authors.forename: Lauro Mera
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Nessana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dartora
authors.forename: Mauro S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Elisangela Martins da S
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Obdúlio G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: Guilherme Lanzi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sassaki
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iacomini
authors.forename: Carlos F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.forename: Célia R C
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: José Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: da Silva-Santos
authors.forename: Silvia M S C
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cadena
authors.forename: Maria C A
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Adair R S
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts