Abstract
Oxidative stress has been considered as one of the factors responsible for hepatic diseases, which sometimes require new ways of treatment. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity of the tea of Echinodorus grandiforus ("leather hat" plant) in rat liver. Different preparations of tea were evaluated for phenolic composition, antioxidant activity by DPPH assay and ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation induced by copper sulfate. The antioxidant activity was assessed in liver tissue treated with sodium azide in the presence or absence of tea by assays for lipid peroxidation (TBARS), protein oxidation (carbonyl) and the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The results show that different preparations of tea are important sources of polyphenols and contain theobromine, catechin and vitexin. Furthermore, the results indicate that this tea exhibits an antioxidant activity by its ability to scavenge DPPH radical. Different preparations of tea prevented damage to lipids and proteins induced by sodium azide, as well as assisting in restoring CAT and SOD activities. Thus, it can be seen that E. grandiforus tea had antioxidant activity in serum and liver being able to prevent oxidative damages generated by sodium azide.
Highlights
The liver is a vital organ that performs important functions in the body, such as the synthesis of proteins and enzymes, detoxification, hormonal balance, and storage of vitamins and minerals, among other things (Navarro and Senior 2006, Cemek et al 2012)
We evaluated the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase and the rates of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and protein oxidation
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity was determined in accordance to Bannister and Calabrese (1987)
Summary
The liver is a vital organ that performs important functions in the body, such as the synthesis of proteins and enzymes, detoxification, hormonal balance, and storage of vitamins and minerals, among other things (Navarro and Senior 2006, Cemek et al 2012). Several in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that oxidative stress may be related to liver damage. E. grandiflorus is a semi-aquatic plant native to Brazil and found throughout the country, mainly in tropical regions It is popularly known as “leather hat” and is widely used in folk medicine, in the treatment of various diseases (Souza et al 2004, Tibiriçá et al 2007, Brugiolo et al 2010). The active ingredients identified in the plant include the flavonoids These compounds have an ideal structure for scavenging reactive species and are considered effective antioxidants (Costa et al 1999, Halliwell 2007, Garcia et al 2010)
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