Antioxidant activity, repair and tolerance of oxidative DNA damage in different cultivars of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) leaves

High intake of natural antioxidants has been associated with lower incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. Thus, there is need to find out the crops rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds. The aqueous extracts of leaves of thirteen varieties of sugarcane were studied for their antioxidant activity and protective effect on DNA damage. 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and phosphomolybdenum reduction assays were used to determine the antioxidant activities in the leaves. Different varieties of sugarcane showed the higher antioxidant properties (IC50 values ranged between 18.75±1.2 to 27.67±0.45 μg/ml) and demonstrated their ability to protect against DNA damage induced by hydroxyl radical generated in the Fenton reaction. The high antioxidant activity and protection against DNA damage of sugarcane may be partly due to their phenolic and flavonoid contents. In here, we suggest that the hot water extracts of sugarcane leaves could provide health and functional food effects due to their antioxidant properties.