Abstract
Wild herbs, which are edible plants that grow in mountainous areas, have diverse biological effects such as anti-obesity and anti-cancer activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of Aster scaber, Ligularia fischeri, Kalopanax pictus, Codonopsis lanceolata, and Cirsium setidens and to assess their effects on lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells. The results revealed that among the five studied wild herb extracts, Ligularia fischeri showed the highest total phenolic contents (215.8 ± 14.2 mg GAE/g) and Aster scaber showed the highest total flavonoid content (103.9 ± 3.4 mg RE/g). Furthermore, Aster scaber and Ligularia fischeri extracts showed higher antioxidant activity than the other wild herbs. Regarding anti-adipogenic activity, the Cirsium setidens extract significantly inhibited lipid accumulation (~80%) and ROS production (~50%) during adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells compared with control cells. These results suggest that wild herbs could be used for the development of functional foods as well as health promoting and pharmaceutical agents.
Highlights
The presence of an excessive amount of free radicals causes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the cells [1]
The total phenolic contents in wild herb extracts decreased in the following order: Ligularia fischeri > Aster scaber > Kalopanax pictus > Cirsium setidens > Codonopsis lanceolata
The flavonoid contents in wild herb extracts decreased in the following order: Aster scaber > Ligularia fischeri > Cirsium setidens > Kalopanax pictus > Codonopsis lanceolata
Summary
The presence of an excessive amount of free radicals causes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the cells [1]. The body has developed various defense mechanisms against free radical-induced oxidative stress, including preventative mechanisms, repair mechanisms, physical defenses and antioxidant defenses [2]. The overproduction of ROS by endogenous or external factors such as tobacco smoke, certain pollutants, organic solvents, and pesticides has led to an unbalanced system of antioxidant protection in the body [3]. Wild herbs have been identified as sources of various phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds, which possess a wide range of biological effects [9,10]. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds are the products of secondary metabolism in plants
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