Antioxidant potential of bitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze) seeds in in vitro models

V Ani,Kamatham A Naidu

doi:10.1186/1472-6882-11-40

Abstract

BackgroundBitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze), is a medicinally important plant. Earlier, we have reported phenolic compounds, antioxidant, and anti-hyperglycemic, antimicrobial activity of bitter cumin. In this study we have further characterized the antioxidative activity of bitter cumin extracts in various in vitro models.MethodsBitter cumin seeds were extracted with a combination of acetone, methanol and water. The antioxidant activity of bitter cumin extracts were characterized in various in vitro model systems such as DPPH radical, ABTS radical scavenging, reducing power, oxidation of liposomes and oxidative damage to DNA.ResultsThe phenolic extracts of bitter cumin at microgram concentration showed significant scavenging of DPPH and ABTS radicals, reduced phosphomolybdenum (Mo(VI) to Mo(V)), ferricyanide Fe(III) to Fe(II), inhibited liposomes oxidation and hydroxyl radical induced damage to prokaryotic genomic DNA. The results showed a direct correlation between phenolic acid content and antioxidant activity.ConclusionBitter cumin is a good source of natural antioxidants.

Highlights

Bitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze), is a medicinally important plant
Earlier we have reported an array of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity in few model systems, antimicrobial and anti-hyperglycemic activity of bitter cumin [23,24]
Chemicals 1,1-Diphenyl -2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 azinobis-3ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), Butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA), Ascorbic acid, a-Tocopherol, agarose, xylene cyanol, bromophenol blue, ethidium bromide, thiobarbituiric acid and tannic acid were purchased from Sigma chemicals (MO, USA)

Summary

Introduction

Bitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze), is a medicinally important plant. We have reported phenolic compounds, antioxidant, and anti-hyperglycemic, antimicrobial activity of bitter cumin. In this study we have further characterized the antioxidative activity of bitter cumin extracts in various in vitro models. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) constitute most important free radicals. ROS play a positive role in energy production, phagocytosis, and regulation of cell growth, cell signaling and synthesis of biologically important compounds. Oxidative stress is the result of an increased ROS production and/a decrease in their elimination. Based on the fact that ROS are dangerous for cells, tissues and organs it has been inferred that oxidative stress is the cause for number of disorders, including atherosclerosis, neural degenerative disease, inflammation, cancer and ageing [2,3,4]. As a result there has been a general desire to replace the synthetic food additives with natural antioxidants [9,10]

Methods

Results

Conclusion