Antioxidant and toxicological evaluation of a Tamarindus indica L. leaf fluid extract.
In the scientific community, there is a growing interest in Tamarindus indica L. leaves, both as a valuable nutrient and as a functional food. This paper focuses on exploring its safety and antioxidant properties. A tamarind leaf fluid extract (TFE) wholly characterised was evaluated for its anti-DPPH activity (IC50 = 44.36 μg/mL) and its reducing power activity (IC50 = 60.87 μg/mL). TFE also exhibited a high ferrous ion-chelating capacity, with an estimated binding constant of 1.085 mol L(-1) while its influence over nitric oxide production in human leucocytes was irregular. At low concentrations, TFE stimulated NO output, but it significantly inhibited it when there was an increase in concentration. TFE was also classified as a non-toxic substance in two toxicity tests: the acute oral toxicity test and the oral mucous irritability test. Further toxicological assays are needed, although results so far suggest that TFE might become a functional dietary supplement.
a Department of Pharmacy , Oriente University , Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, 90500 Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
J C
JC
Escalona-Arranz
b Departament Farmacología i Química Terapéutica , Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
R
R
Perez-Rosés
a Department of Pharmacy , Oriente University , Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, 90500 Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
J
J
Rodríguez-Amado
c Centre for Studies in Industrial Biotechnology (CEBI). Oriente University , Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
H J
HJ
Morris-Quevedo
a Department of Pharmacy , Oriente University , Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, 90500 Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
L B
LB
Mwasi
a Department of Pharmacy , Oriente University , Avenida Patricio Lumumba s/n, 90500 Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
O
O
Cabrera-Sotomayor
d Department of Chemistry , Oriente University , Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
R
R
Machado-García
e Medical Toxicology Centre (TOXIMED). Medical Sciences University , Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
O
O
Fong-Lórez
e Medical Toxicology Centre (TOXIMED). Medical Sciences University , Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
A
A
Alfonso-Castillo
e Medical Toxicology Centre (TOXIMED). Medical Sciences University , Santiago de Cuba , Cuba.
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E
Puente-Zapata
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D029861:Tamarindus / Q000737:chemistry*; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
D000975:Antioxidants; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide
Tamarindus indica L; antioxidant; functional foods; tamarind leaves; toxicological evaluation