title: Antioxidant activity of insect gall extracts of Pistacia integerrima.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pistacia integerrima (P. integerrina) insect galls are widely used in ayurveda and siddha system of medicine as karkatasringi. The use of leaf galls as a rejuvenator may be attributed to antioxidant property, however there is less scientific evidence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and the antioxidant potential of leaf gall extracts (aqueous and ethanol) of P. integerrina, which is extensively used in the preparation of traditional medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antioxidant activities of aqueous and ethanolic leaf gall extracts were examined using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl scavenging and ferric reducing power (FRAP) methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presences of phenolics, tannins, phytosterols, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids and reducing sugars were identified in both the extracts. In comparison to the aqueous extract, the ethanolic extract had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content at 234 ±2.4 mg of GAE/g d.w. and 95.5 ±3.2 mg of QUE/g d.w., respectively. This higher content of total phenolics and flavonoids found in the ethanolic extract was directly associated with higher antioxidant activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the poetnet antioxidant activities of P. integerrima leaf gall extracts. Further, there was a strong association between the higher antioxidant activities with that of higher total phenolic and flavonoid content in the ethanolic leaf gall extracts of P. integerrima. The results encourage the use of P. integerrima leaf gall extracts for medicinal health, functional food and nutraceuticals applications, due to their antioxidant properties. Future work will be interesting to learn the chemical composition and better understand the mechanism of action of the antioxidants present in the extract for development as a drug for therapeutic application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, School of Graduate Studies, Jain University Bangalore, India.|Research Unit in Vrukshayurveda, A Division of Centre for Advanced Studies in Biosciences, Jain University Chamrajpete, Bangalore, India.|PG Department of Studies and Research in Biotechnology, Kuvempu University Shankarghatta, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ravi Shankara Birur
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Eshwarappa
authors.affiliation: PG Department of Studies and Research in Biotechnology, Kuvempu University Shankarghatta, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ramachandra Yarappa
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lakshmikantha
authors.affiliation: Research Unit in Vrukshayurveda, A Division of Centre for Advanced Studies in Biosciences, Jain University Chamrajpete, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Sundara Rajan
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Subaramaihha
authors.affiliation: Research Unit in Vrukshayurveda, A Division of Centre for Advanced Studies in Biosciences, Jain University Chamrajpete, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Sujan Ganapathy Pasura
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Subbaiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Mysore Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Austin Richard
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Surendranath
authors.affiliation: Toxicology and Drug Discovery Unit, Center for Emerging Technologies (CET), Jain University Kanakpura Taluk, India.
authors.forename: Bhadrapura Lakkappa
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Dhananjaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D055808:Drug Discovery; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D019448:Ethnobotany; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D005503:Food Additives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007194:India; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D027927:Pistacia / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000469:parasitology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000469:parasitology; D010941:Plant Tumors; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D005503:Food Additives; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: antioxidant; ethnobotanical; free radicals; galls; plants; polyphenols