title: Antioxidant Potential of Vespa affinis L., a Traditional Edible Insect Species of North East India.
abstract: Elevated oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of health disorders, like arthritis. Traditionally, Vespa affinis L., a common edible insect among many tribes in North-East India, is believed to have a beneficial role in extenuating health disorders, such as arthritis. The present study investigated the molecular mechanism underlying medicinal benefit of the Aqueous Extract of Vespa affinis L. (AEVA) against oxidative stress pathophysiology.
  
  
  
  The free radical scavenging activities of AEVA were examined against DPPH, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals and the effect on the activities of antioxidant enzyme (GST and CAT) was determined using both recombinant proteins and human plasma. The antioxidant potential of AEVA was again investigated using THP-1 monocytes.
  
  
  
  AEVA possesses a significant free radical scavenging activity as evident from the DPPH, superoxide, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. Incubation of AEVA (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 μg/μL) with the recombinant antioxidant enzymes, rGST and rCAT significantly increased the enzyme activities compared to those observed in corresponding enzyme alone or AEVA itself. AEVA supplementation (5, 7.5, and 10 μg/μL) also stimulates the activities of GST and CAT when incubated with human plasma. A cell culture study also confirmed the beneficial role of AEVA (0.8 and 1.2 μg/μL) which enhances the activities of GST and CAT, and also reduces the intercellular ROS production in monocytes treated with or without H2O2 and the effects are at par with what is observed in N-acetyl cysteine-treated cells.
  
  
  
  The antioxidant potential of the aqueous extract of Vespa affinis L. may mediate its therapeutic activities in oxidative stress-associated health disorders.
authors.affiliation: Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Chennai- 600113, India.|Biological Science and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, Assam, 785006, India.
authors.forename: Prachurjya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dutta
authors.affiliation: Biological Science and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, Assam, 785006, India.|Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Tapan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Biological Science and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, Assam, 785006, India.
authors.forename: Prasenjit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.affiliation: Biological Science and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, Assam, 785006, India.
authors.forename: Jatin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta / Q000737:chemistry*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D002374:Catalase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase