Abstract
Byrsocarpus coccineus (syn. Rourea coccinea) Schum. and Thonn. (Connaraceae) is used in traditional medicine to treat several ailments in which reactive oxygen species are involved. This study aims to investigate the in vivo antioxidative properties and moreover the toxicological potential of ethanolic root extract of B. coccineus (EEBc). Antioxidant activity was measured using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and nitric oxide (NO) assays, respectively on serum and on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and moreover by quantifying malondialdehyde (MDA) in rat model ovalbumin-induced airway inflammatory. Toxicological screening was performed using single oral administration at 5000 mg/kg and sub-chronic (4 weeks) administration at 400 and 800 mg/kg to rats. Results indicated that EEBc increases antioxidant potential in the blood. EEBc significantly reduced the NO level (P < 0.05) and MDA concentration (P < 0.01). The extract at a single dose did not produce the signs of toxicity or mortality during 14 days. The sub-chronic tests showed no alterations in animals. The results did not show any biochemical and hematological abnormalities. This study shows that EEBc may be used as natural antioxidant and may help to prevent pathological conditions related to oxidative stress. Key words: Antioxidant, malondialdehyde, toxicity, Byrsocarpus coccineus. 
Highlights
Plants have been the source of natural products used, since earliest times, in non-conventional medicine known as traditional medicine through communities worldwide
The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay in blood sera of rats treated with EEBc (400 and 800 mg/kg) showed increased levels of Fe2+ as compared to the control group
Growing interest for natural products from medicinal plants is evidence nowadays and many of these plants products are used for their antioxidant potential, but this practice may be expose to the toxicological risks
Summary
Plants have been the source of natural products used, since earliest times, in non-conventional medicine known as traditional medicine through communities worldwide. Antioxidants have been reported to prevent oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) which readily attack and induce damage to various biologic compounds, including proteins, lipids, sugars and DNA (Farber, 1994; Büyükokuroğlu et al, 2001; Kaur et al, 2006). These oxidative damages are considered as crucial etiological factor implicated in the initial phase of several chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, pulmonary diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and in the ageing process (Pong, 2003; Roussel, 2009). Plants rich in phenolic compounds like flavonoids have been demonstrated to have antiinflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-viral, anti-aging, and anticarcinogenic activities which can be attributed to their antioxidant properties (Agil et al, 2006)
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