title: Vernonia kotschyana roots: therapeutic potential via antioxidant activity.
abstract: The roots of Vernonia kotschyana Sch. Bip. ex Walp. (Asteraceae) are used in Malian traditional medicine in the treatment of gastroduodenal ulcers and gastritis. Since oxidative stress is involved in gastric ulceration, the aim of this study was to screen the root extracts for their in vitro antioxidant activity and phenolic content. The roots were extracted successively with chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol and water. The antioxidant activity of root extracts was evaluated in both cell-free and cell-based assays. Their chemical characterization was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) whereas the total phenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The ethyl acetate extract displayed the highest phenolic content and was found to be the most active in the free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays; it also showed a high antioxidant activity in MCF-12F cells. This study suggests a potential use of the ethyl acetate extract of Vernonia kotschyana not only as an antioxidant agent in gastroduodenal ulcers and gastritis, but also in other disorders characterized by high levels of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa-Iasi, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania. alexandru.vasincu@umfiasi.ro.
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasincu
authors.affiliation: Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1068 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway. b.s.paulsen@farmasi.uio.no.
authors.forename: Berit S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Medicine, University of Bamako, PB 1746 Bamako, Mali. dri.diallo@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Drissa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences I, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa-Iasi, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania. ioana-mirela.vasincu@umfiasi.ro.
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vasincu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa-Iasi, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania. ana.aprotosoaie@umfiasi.ro.
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Aprotosoaie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa-Iasi, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania. veronica.bild@umfiasi.ro.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bild
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Kallipoleos 75, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus. ccharala@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Christiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charalambous
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Kallipoleos 75, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus. andreasc@ucy.ac.cy.
authors.forename: Andreas I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Constantinou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa-Iasi, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania. anca.miron@umfiasi.ro.
authors.forename: Anca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miron
authors.affiliation: Department Medical I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa-Iasi, Universitatii Str. 16, 700115 Iasi, Romania. cristina.gavrilescu@umfiasi.ro.
authors.forename: Cristina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gavrilescu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy; D035741:Vernonia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts