Relative bioefficacy of seventeen Poaceae extracts targeting oxidative stress-related diseases coupled with elemental profiling using ICP-MS

Abstract

Free radicals produced in vivo increases ‘oxidative stress’ and leads to lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and other disorders such as hemolysis. Present study aimed at evaluating the biological potentials of seventeen Poaceae species in order to scientifically confirm their traditional uses and to identify elements involved in regulating reactive oxygen species. Extracts of seventeen grass species were prepared to determine antioxidant activity using ferric thiocyanate and thiobarbituric acid assays. Sorghum halepense, Eleusine indica, Ochthocloa compressa, Saccharum spontaneum, Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Cymbopogon citratus showed highest antioxidant potential. Antihemolytic potential was assessed by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced hemolysis in human erythrocytes and was found to be highest in C. citratus (96%) followed by S. spontaneum (95%), O. compressa (66%) and D. annulatum (60%). DNA damage activity was performed using p1391Z plasmid DNA. In the end, samples were digested using nitric acid and the concentration of twenty elements was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. Principal component analysis (PCA) of essential elements showed 70% variability and non-essential elements displayed 52% in total variance. Hence, the selected botanicals can be used commercially in the treatment of oxidative-stress related diseases as the concentration of different elements validate their safety and efficacy for human body.