In vitro and In vivo Antioxidant, Anti-hyperlipidemic Properties and Chemical Characterization of Centella asiatica (L.) Extract.

Sima Kumari,Rajlakshmi Devi,R Elancheran,Jibon Kotoky,Meetali Deori

doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00400

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the phenolic compounds present in Centella asiatica (L.) (C. asiatica) extract and evaluate the respective antioxidant potential as well as its cholesterol-lowering effects in the experimental animal model. Herein, the antioxidant potential of extracts was assessed by its free radical scavenging activity such as 2, 2-diphenyl -1- picrylhydrazyl as well as reducing capability. The anti-hyperlipidemic effects of C. asiatica extract (CAE) were evaluated in high cholesterol-fed (HCF) rats for 4 weeks, where different concentrations of extracts (0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/kg/day) were orally administrated daily. Lipid and antioxidant profiles, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), together with the indices of hepatic functions were also examined. C. asiatica revealed excellent free radical scavenging activity as revealed by 2-2- diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, with the IC50 values (9.62 ± 0.88 μg/mL). Furthermore, C. asiatica extracts and fenofibrate remarkably lowered the level of TC, TG, LDL-C, and showed elevated levels of HDL-C, SOD. The histopathological observations further demonstrated clear differentiation and structural changes in liver of HCF and CAE treated group. Furthermore, gulonic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid, and asiatic acid were identified to be the major components which might be responsible for the antioxidant activity of the C. asiatica extract as evidenced from an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer. Taken together, these results signifies the excellent antioxidant and anti-hyperlipidemic properties of C. asiatica leaf extracts, which might be useful for the treatment of oxidative-stress related diseases such as hyperlipidemia.

Highlights

Oxidative stress (OS) is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals, such as superoxide (O−2 ), hydroxyl (OH), and peroxyl (ROO) radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants
Various synthetic antioxidant compounds such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and propyl gallate (PG) have shown effectiveness in the human body against oxidative damage caused by free radicals (Issa et al, 2006; Kaliora et al, 2006)
The screening and identification of C. asiatica extract was performed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)–electron spray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS

Summary

Introduction

Oxidative stress (OS) is essentially an imbalance between the production of free radicals, such as superoxide (O−2 ), hydroxyl (OH), and peroxyl (ROO) radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants. Anti-hyperlipidemic Properties of Centella asiatica (L.) Extract Overproduction of these radicals can lead to the above mentioned disorders with as a consequence of “OS/oxidative damage.”. Various synthetic antioxidant compounds such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and propyl gallate (PG) have shown effectiveness in the human body against oxidative damage caused by free radicals (Issa et al, 2006; Kaliora et al, 2006). Hyperlipidemia is represented by elevated levels of plasma lipid, serum cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG) and remains one of the major risk factors for coronary heart diseases (CHD), especially, the increased plasma low-density lipoprotein level can accelerate atherosclerosis (Arsenault et al, 2009; Harchaoui et al, 2009; de Lemos et al, 2010; Berry et al, 2012; Ma et al, 2012). The increasing serum/liver antioxidant capacity represents the most effective way for combating the occurrence of cardiovascular or liver disorders (Yang D.J. et al, 2010; Yang S.F. et al, 2010; Chang et al, 2011; Hsu et al, 2011; Liu et al, 2012; Lin et al, 2013)

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