Experimental evidence suggests that most herbs and spices possess a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities that may protect tissues against O2-induced damage. The objectives of the present study were: first, to determine the effects of plant extracts on the viability, membrane integrity, antioxidant status and DNA integrity of Caco-2 cells and second, to investigate the cytopro...

1383-5866/$ see front matter 2011 Elsevier B.V. A doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2011.12.020 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +351 253 604 424; fa E-mail addresses: solange@deb.uminho.pt, so (S.I. Mussatto). Methanol, ethanol, and acetone at four different concentrations (90%, 70%, 50%, and 30% v/v) were used for extraction of phytoestrogens (nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), kaempferol, and quercetin) from...

The oxidative degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids is the primary factor in limiting the shelf-life of most manufactured foods. Free radical mechanisms are implicated in the pathogenesis of human diseases and in the process of ageing. This has led to the suggestion that antioxidants, and plant diet-derived antioxidants in particular, might have health benefits as prophylactic agents. Deli...

Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f. (Cucurbitaceae) is cultivated in West Africa. The purpose of this article is to review information available in scientific literature on the pharmacological and biological activities of the plant. Searches were made and relevant information obtained from online resources such as Google Scholar, PubMed and Medline. Only literature highlighting the pharmacological, ...

Seeds and leaves of indigo (Polygonum tinctorium Ait.) plant were investigated and compared with another medicinal plant named prolipid for their properties such as chemical composition, antioxidant, and anticancer effects by Fourier transform infrared, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization-MS in negative mode. It was found that polyphenols, flavonoids, and fl...

When plants are exposed to stressful environmental conditions, the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) increases and can cause significant damage to the cells. Antioxidant defenses, which can detoxify ROS, are present in plants. A major hydrogen peroxide detoxifying system in plant cells is the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, in which, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes play a key role cat...

In this study we investigated the effects of Caesalpinia decapetala (CD) extracts on lipid oxidation in ground beef patties. Plant extracts and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were individually added to patties at both 0.1% and 0.5% (w/w) concentrations. We assessed the antioxidant efficacy of CD by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and evaluated their potential as natural antio...

Objective: Dracocephalum kotschyi (Lamiaceae family) has been usedin traditional medicine for stomach and liver disorders, headache and congestion. In the present study, we have investigated phytochemical properties and antioxidant activities of dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of D.kotschyi. Material and Methods: Antioxidant activities of extracts were evaluated using the i...

Mercury poisoning is responsible for inducing serious adverse effects in living organisms. One of protection factors could be substances proven to possess high antioxidant and metal chelating activity – plant polyphenols. There are many sources of polyphenols in plant kingdom but the most interesting for food industry could be widely consumed herbs. Aim of the research was to evaluate antioxida...