Protective effects of Cornus walteri W. extracts on t-BHP-induced cell damage through antioxidant activity

This study evaluated the antioxidant potential of extracts from Cornus walteri W. (CW) using various assays for natural antioxidants. We determined the polyphenol and flavonoid contents, as well as the antioxidant properties of water and ethanol extracts from the CW compared with those of other natural and synthetic antioxidants. CW extracts had high total phenolic and flavonoid contents in both the water and ethanol extracts. Various radical (DPPH, hydroxyl, and alkyl) scavenging activities of extracts from CW were higher than that of vitamin C. In addition, the antioxidant capacity measured as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) as diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging were higher than that of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), used as a positive control. The cytoprotective effect of CW extracts was also observed in tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative damage in Chang cells. These results showed that CW extracts have antioxidant properties through their ability to enhance cell viability, prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and inhibit mitochondrial membrane depolarization. The antioxidant potency of the CW extracts could be exploited for their health promoting potential.     

Determination of Parameters for the Supercritical Extraction of Antioxidant Compounds from Green Propolis Using Carbon Dioxide and Ethanol as Co-Solvent

The aim of this study was to determine the best processing conditions to extract Brazilian green propolis using a supercritical extraction technology. For this purpose, the influence of different parameters was evaluated such as S/F (solvent mass in relation to solute mass), percentage of co-solvent (1 and 2% ethanol), temperature (40 and 50°C) and pressure (250, 350 and 400 bar) using supercritical carbon dioxide. The Global Yield Isotherms (GYIs) were obtained through the evaluation of the yield, and the chemical composition of the extracts was also obtained in relation to the total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant activity and 3,5-diprenyl-4-hydroxicinnamic acid (Artepillin C) and acid 4-hydroxycinnamic (p-coumaric acid). The best results were identified at 50°C, 350 bar, 1% ethanol (co-solvent) and S/F of 110. These conditions, a content of 8.93±0.01 and 0.40±0.05 g/100 g of Artepillin C and p-coumaric acid, respectively, were identified indicating the efficiency of the extraction process. Despite of low yield of the process, the extracts obtained had high contents of relevant compounds, proving the viability of the process to obtain green propolis extracts with important biological applications due to the extracts composition.     

The composition of cartilage proteoglycans. An investigation using high-and low-ionic-strength extraction procedures

1. A proteoglycan fraction (the proteoglycan subunit fraction) was prepared from extracts, with 0.15m-KCl (low-ionic-strength) and 0.5m-LaCl(3), 2.0m-CaCl(2) and 4.0m-guanidinium chloride (high-ionic-strength), of bovine nasal cartilage by equilibrium-density-gradient centrifugation, essentially as described by Hascall & Sajdera (1969). 2. The use of different centrifugation times showed that near-equilibrium conditions were reached by 48h for the fractions prepared from the high-ionic-strength extracts. The fraction isolated from the low-ionic-strength extract required a longer centrifugation time to reach equilibrium conditions. 3. The composition of the proteoglycan fractions from the various extracts was compared by analyses of their carbohydrate and amino acid contents. Difference indices were calculated from the amino acid analysis to compare the degree of compositional relationship between the protein components of the proteoglycans. 4. Small compositional differences were found between the proteoglycans isolated from the various high-ionic-strength extracts. The protein content of the fractions from the CaCl(2) extract and the guanidinium chloride extract showed the greatest difference in this respect, although their amino acid analysis was similar. 5. The proteoglycan fraction isolated from the low-ionic-strength extract shows marked differences in composition from the fractions isolated from the high-ionic-strength extracts. Its protein and glucosamine contents were lower whereas its hexuronic acid and galactosamine contents were higher than those of the latter. It also exhibits major differences in its amino acid composition. The glucosamine:galactosamine ratio of the fraction from the low-ionic-strength extract indicates that it may be an almost exclusively chondroitin sulphate-proteoglycan. Its analysis correlates closely with that of a low-molecular-weight proteoglycan isolated from pig laryngeal cartilage by Tsiganos & Muir (1969). 6. The proteoglycan fractions from both the low- and high-ionic-strength extracts migrate as a single band in zone electrophoresis carried out in a sucrose-density gradient at both pH3.0 and pH7.0, although each showed evidence of band widening during the electrophoresis. All the proteoglycan fractions migrated with the same electrophoretic mobility at pH3.0, irrespective of the differences in composition between them. 7. The differences between the proteoglycans from the low- and high-ionic-strength extracts are discussed and the view is advanced that they may be due to association between predominantly chondroitin sulphate-proteoglycans and a keratan sulphate-enriched proteoglycan species.     

核桃叶多酚含量的测定和抗氧化能力的研究

核桃又称胡桃,全身是宝,除核桃仁可以直接食用外,其青皮、叶、枝、花、壳等均可入药,具有重要的经济和药用价值。为了进一步开发和利用核桃属植物资源,该研究以核桃叶为材料,采用Folin-酚法,测定核桃叶75%乙醇提取物及石油醚、乙酸乙酯、正丁醇萃取后的各部分多酚的含量,通过DPPH·和ABTS·自由基清除法评价其抗氧化能力,并分析多酚含量与抗氧化能力的关系。结果表明:核桃叶提取物及其各萃取部分均表现出一定的抗氧化活性,其中乙酸乙酯部分、正丁醇部分的IC_(50)均高于VC,核桃叶75%乙醇粗提物(Ext.)与VC相当,且多酚的含量和抗氧化能力呈现正相关关系。这说明核桃叶的提取物可以作为天然的抗氧化剂应用于食品、医疗、化妆品、保健品等行业。该研究结果为进一步开发利用核桃资源和提高核桃的经济效益提供了一定的理论基础。     

The antioxidant activity of aqueous spinach extract: chemical identification of active fractions

In previous studies we have elucidated the presence of powerful, natural antioxidants (NAO) in water extracts of spinach leaves and demonstrated their biological activity in both in vitro and in vivo systems. In the present study, the chemical identity of several of these antioxidant components is presented. Spinach leaves were extracted with water and the 20,000 g supernatant which contained the antioxidant activity was extracted with a water:acetone (1:9) solution. The 20,000 g supernatant obtained was further purified on reverse phase HPLC using C-8 semi-preparative column. Elution with 0.1% TFA resulted in five hydrophilic peaks. Elution with acetonitrile in TFA resulted in seven additional hydrophobic peaks. All the peaks were detected at 250 nm. All the fractions obtained showed antioxidant activity when tested using three different assays. Based on 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy four of the hydrophobic fractions were identified as glucuronic acid derivatives of flavonoids and three additional fractions as trans and cis isomers of p-coumaric acid and others as meso-tartarate derivatives of p-coumaric acid. The present study demonstrates for the first time the presence of both flavonoids and p-coumaric acid derivatives as antioxidant components of the aqueous extract of spinach leaves.     

A monophenol oxidase activity in extracts of sorghum

A p-hydroxycinnamic acid oxidase activity was present in enzyme preparations from first internodes of Sorghum vulgare variety Wheatland milo when incubated in phosphate buffer at pH 7.5. This preparation had no classical polyphenolase activity but had both peroxidase and catalase activities. Since horseradish preparations catalyzed the same reaction, the oxidation probably is another example of a peroxidase-oxidase reaction. A second substrate was p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid. Ferulic acid was slightly active at low concentrations and inhibitory at higher ones. Diphenols such as caffeic and chlorogenic acids were inactive and inhibitory to p-hydroxycinnamic acid oxidation. A variety of monophenols such as tyrosine and cinnamic acid were inactive. An active substrate must have a free monophenolic group and para to this a C₃ side chain with a double bond and probably a free terminal acid group. A sulfhydryl reducing agent at the 5 millimolar level such as mercaptoethanol, reduced glutathione, or dithiothreitol was obligatory. Products were varied and were found in both the ethyl acetate-soluble and insoluble fractions after acidification of the incubation mixtures. With internode extracts, about 1 micromole of O₂ was consumed per micromole of p-hydroxycinnamic acid that disappeared in the presence of mercaptoethanol. Tetrahydrafolic acid plus mercaptoethanol were required for a second step oxidation or a parallel reaction; about 2 micromoles of O₂ were consumed per micromole of p-hydroxycinnamic acid that disappeared. Potassium cyanide, diethyldithiocarbamate, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetate were inhibitory. A similar mercaptoethanol-dependent monophenol oxidase was present in preparations from green shoots that also contained a classical polyphenolase activity. The activity was present in both soluble and particulate (500 to 100,000 gravity) fractions of internodes. Preliminary studies were made of enzyme complexes in the particulate fractions capable of converting phenylalanine and tyrosine to the level of ferulic acid when the above p-hydroxycinnamic acid oxidase was blocked with ascorbic acid. The ratelimiting step was the hydroxylation of p-hydroxycinnamic acid.     

Antioxidant activities of extracts and fractions from Lysimachia foenum-graecum Hance

The antioxidant activities of water extract, methanol extract, ethyl acetate, and n-BuOH fractions of methanol extract from Lysimachia foenum-graecum Hance were investigated in this study. Various methods, such as the total antioxidant capacity measured by phosphomolybdenum method, scavenging activities towards 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, superoxide anion radical, and hydroxyl radical, were established in in vitro systems. The amounts of total phenolics and total flavonoids in the extracts and fractions were also determined by spectrophotometric methods. The results showed that all the extracts and fractions exhibited antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities at different magnitudes of potency. The decreasing order of antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities among the extracts assayed through all the four methods were found to be ethyl acetate fraction>n-BuOH fraction>methanol extract>water extract. This similar order of the amounts of total phenolics and total flavonoids shows that the extent of antioxidant and radical-scavenging activities is in accordance with the amounts of phenolics and flavonoids present in extracts and fractions. The extracts of L. foenum-graecum Hance might be valuable antioxidant natural sources and seemed to be applicable in both healthy medicine and food industry.     

Separation of Antioxidant-Rich Alternanthera Sessilis Red Extracts by Sephadex LH-20 and Identification of Polyphenols Using HPLC-QToF-MS/MS

This study aimed to fractionate Alternanthera sessilis Red (ASR) crude extracts and determine their antioxidant activities as well as the related active components in the whole plant. ASR was extracted with water and ethanol, and further separated using a Sephadex LH-20 column. Following the assessments of the polyphenolic contents and antioxidant activities of crude extracts (H₂O_ASR and EtOH_ASR) and fractions, a HPLC-QToF analysis was performed on the crude extracts and selected fractions (H₂O_ASR FII and EtOH_ASR FII). Three water fractions (H₂O_ASR FI, FII and FIII) and four ethanolic fractions (EtOH_ASR FI, FII, FIII and FIV) were derived from their crude extracts, respectively. EtOH_ASR FII exhibited the greatest total phenolic content (120.41 mg GAE/g fraction), total flavonoid content (223.07 mg RE/g fraction), and antioxidant activities (DPPH IC₅₀=159.43 μg/mL; FRAP=1.93 mmol Fe²⁺/g fraction; TEAC=0.90 mmol TE/g fraction). Correlation analysis showed significant (p<0.01) positive correlations between both TPC (r=0.748–0.970) and TFC (r=0.686–0.949) with antioxidant activities in the crude extracts and fractions. Flavonoids were the major compounds in the four selected samples tentatively identified using HPLC-QToF-MS/MS, with the highest number of 30 polyphenol compounds detected in the most active fraction, EtOH_ASR FII.     

八种水果中的多酚含量及其抗氧化性

测定了苹果、石榴、橄榄、芒果、香蕉、菠萝、葡萄和龙眼的壳、肉及核中的多酚含量及其抗氧化性。以70%丙酮(v/v)为提取溶剂,室温下超声波辅助浸提样品后得到提取液。采用普鲁士兰(Prussian blue)法测定了提取液中多酚和单宁的含量,利用FRAP法测定其抗氧化性。结果表明:提取液中多酚和单宁的含量均与其抗氧化性成正相关关系;石榴、橄榄、芒果、葡萄和龙眼等水果的壳与核有望成为天然抗氧化剂的新来源。     

Assessment of phenolics-enriched extract and fractions of olive leaves and their antioxidant activities

Recent studies suggest that olive leaf is a significant source of bioactive phenolic compounds comparable to olive oil and fruits. Identifying appropriate extraction methods is thus an important step to increase the yield of such bioactive components from olive leaf, which is otherwise agricultural waste. The present study evaluates phenolic contents and compositions of olive leaf extracted by several solvent methods and to further establish their antioxidant activities using various radical scavenging systems. Total flavonoid and phenolic contents were significantly higher in the 80% ethanol extract, butanol, and ethylacetate fractions than hexane, chloroform and water fractions (p < 0.05). Oleuropein was identified as a major phenolic compound with considerable contents in these major three fractions and the extract that correlated with their higher antioxidant and radical scavenging. These results indicate that olive leaf contains significant amounts of oleuropein and phenolics, important factors for antioxidant capacity, which can be substantially modified by different extraction methods.     

Antioxidant properties of prunes (Prunus domestica L.) and their constituents

Prunes contain large amounts of phenolics and show high antioxidant activity. The aim of this study is to clarify the contents of caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) isomers, and to estimate the contribution of these isomers to the antioxidant activity of prunes. Furthermore, structural elucidation and evaluation of antioxidant activity of prune components were also performed. CQA isomers in prunes were quantified by HPLC analysis, and it has become apparent that prunes contain relatively high amount of 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid. The contribution of CQA isomers to the antioxidant activity of prunes was revealed to be 28.4% on the basis of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC); hence, it was indicated that residual ORAC is dependent on unknown antioxidant components. Total 28 compounds were isolated and their structures were elucidated by NMR and MS analyses. Four abscisic acid related compounds, a chromanon, and a bipyrrole were novel. Each CQA isomer in prunes showed high antioxidant activities when measured by the oil stability index (OSI) method, O2- scavenging activity, and ORAC. Other isolated compounds such as hydroxycinnamic acids, benzoic acids, coumarins, lignans, and flavonoid showed high ORAC values. Furthermore, a novel chromanon indicated a remarkable synergistic effect on ORAC of CQA isomers.     

Catabolism of L-tyrosine in Trichosporon cutaneum.

Protocatechuic acid was a catabolite in the degradation of L-tyrosine by Trichosporon cutaneum. Intact cells oxidized to completion various compounds proposed as intermediates in this conversion, but they did not readily oxidize catabolites of the homogentisate and homoprotocatechuate metabolic pathways, which are known to function in other organisms. Cell extracts converted tyrosine first to 4-hydroxycinnamic acid and then to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. The proposed hydration product of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, namely, beta-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-hydracrylic acid, was synthesized chemically, and its enzymatic degradation to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde was shown to be dependent upon additions of adenosine triphosphate and coenzyme A. The hydroxylase that attacked 4-hydroxybenzoate showed a specific requirement for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Protocatechuate, the product of this reaction, was oxidized by cell extracts supplemented with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or, less effectively, with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, but these extracts contained no ring fission dioxygenase for protocatechuate. Evidence is presented that the principal hydroxylation product of protocatechuate was hydroxyquinol, the benzene nucleus of which was cleaved oxidatively to give maleylacetic acid.     

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects and antioxidant activity of fruit extracts from Lycium barbarum

The hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Lycium barbarum fruit water decoction, crude polysaccharide extracts (crude LBP), and purified polysaccharide fractions (LBP-X) in alloxan-induced diabetic or hyperlipidemic rabbits were investigated through designed sequential trials and by measuring blood glucose and serum lipid parameters. Total antioxidant capacity was also assessed using trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. It was found that the three Lycium barbarum fruit extracts/fractions could significantly reduce blood glucose levels and serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations and at same time markedly increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels after 10 days treatment in tested rabbits, indicating that there were substantial hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Hypoglycemic effect of LBP-X was more significant than those of water decoction and crude LBP, but its hypolipidemic effect seemed to be weaker. Total antioxidant capacity assay showed that all three Lycium barbarum extracts/fractions possessed antioxidant activity. However, water and methanolc fruit extracts and crude polysaccharide extracts exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than purified polysaccharide fractions because crude extracts were identified to be rich in antioxidants (e.g., carotenoids, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, thiamine, nicotinic acid). Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (glycocojugates), containing several monosaccharides and 17 amino acids, were major bioactive constituents of hypoglycemic effect. Both polysaccharides and vitamin antioxidants from Lycium barbarum fruits were possible active principles of hypolipidemic effect.     

Evaluation of 28 marine algae from the Qingdao coast for antioxidative capacity and determination of antioxidant efficiency and total phenolic content of fractions and subfractions derived from Symphyocladia latiuscula (Rhodomelaceae)

The extracts obtained from 28 species of marine algae were evaluated for their antioxidant activity (AA) versus the positive controls butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), gallic acid (GA), and ascorbic acid (AscA). Most of the tested samples displayed antioxidant activity to various degrees. Among them, the extract of Symphyocladia latiuscula exhibited the strongest AA, which was comparable to BHT, GA, and AscA in radical scavenging activity, as shown in the DPPH (α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl) assay, and higher than those of the positive controls in β-carotene-linoleate assay system. In addition, the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction isolated from the crude extract of S. latiuscula exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in both assay systems. This fraction was further fractionated into seven subfractions (F1-F7) by vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC). F1 and F4 were found to be the most effective subfractions in scavenging DPPH radical assay and in the β-carotene-linoleate assay, respectively. The total phenolic content (TPC) and reducing power (RP) for all of the extracts, fractions, and subfractions (F1–F7) were also determined. The TPC of the 28 extracts ranged from 0.10 to 8.00 gallic acid equivalents (mg/g seaweed dry weight) while the RP ranged from 0.07 to 11.60 ascorbic acid equivalents (mg·g⁻¹ seaweed dry weight). Highly positive relationships between AA and TPC as well as between AA and RP were found for the extracts and fractions, while for the subfractions F1–F7 only weak or no such relations were found. The results obtained from this study indicate that further analysis is needed of those marine algal species that contain the most antioxidant activity in order to identify the active principles.     

UHPLC/HR‐ESI‐MS/MS Profiling of Phenolics from Tunisian Lycium arabicum Boiss. Antioxidant and Anti‐lipase Activities’ Evaluation

This study was performed in the aim to evaluate nine different extracts from Tunisian Lycium arabicum for their total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, phytochemical analyses as well as their antioxidant and anti‐lipase activities. The in vitro antioxidant property was investigated using three complementary methods (DPPH, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and β‐carotene‐linoleic acid bleaching assays) while anti‐lipase activity was evaluated using 4‐methylumbelliferyl oleate method. From all of the tested extracts the most potent found to be the polar MeOH extracts especially those of stems and leaves. In order to investigate the chemical composition of these extracts and possible correlation of their constituents with the observed activities, an UHPLC/HR‐ESI‐MS/MS analysis was performed. Several compounds belonging to different chemical classes were tentatively identified such as rutin and kampferol rutinoside, the major constituents of the leaves, and N‐caffeoyltyramine, lyciumide A, N‐dihydrocaffeoyltyramine as well as fatty acids: trihydroxyoctadecadienoic acid and hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid isomers were detected abundantly in the stems. These results showed that the MeOH extracts of stems and leaves of L. arabicum can be considered as a potential source of biological active compounds.     

Studies on the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of enzyme-assisted water extracts from Du-zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) leaves

Enzyme-assisted water extracts (EWEDL) and ethanol extracts of Du-zhong leaves (EEDL) were evaluated for their antioxidant activities using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, Fe²⁺-chelating assay, and inhibition ability of the linoleic acid peroxidation assay. In general, the antioxidant activity of Du-zhong leaf extracts increased with increasing concentration. Based on the two extracting methods with different antioxidative reactions, it was shown that the enzyme-assisted water extracting method was more effective for antioxidant extraction from Du-zhong leaves. By HPLC-MS analysis, the main phenolic compounds (geniposidic acid, epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid) identified in EWEDL and EEDL were similar. EWEDL and EEDL had total phenolic contents of 13.84?±?0.11 and 14.72?±?0.14?mg chlorogenic acid equivalents (CAE) in each gram of extract, respectively. However, there was no positive correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of EWEDL and EEDL measured by the three different assays.     

Purification and Biological Activities of Enzymatically Degraded Sargassum fusiforme Polysaccharides

Enzymatic hydrolysate of the crude polysaccharide (SFP) extracted from Sargassum fusiforme was purified by column DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 to yield four components, namely, ESFP1, ESFP2, ESFP3 and ESFP4. These components were characterized by chemical composition assay, GC/MS, HPGPC, UV and FT-IR techniques. The in vitro antioxidant activities of the four purified fractions were investigated by measuring their radical scavenging activity and reducing power. The results suggested that all the four components possess good antioxidant activities. Among them, ESFP1 was found to possess the strongest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, and the greatest ferric reducing power. The immunomodulatory effect of these four polysaccharides was demonstrated by their ability to promote proliferation, and to enhance both phagocytic activity and NO release in a macrophage RAW264.7 model. The results revealed that the bioactivities of the polysaccharides are related to their molecular weight, and the uronic acid and sulfate contents.     

益智的抗氧化作用

本文探讨了益智(Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel)超临界CO2提取物及其渣的水提物、正丙醇提取物和乙酸乙酯提取物的抗氧化作用,测定了总酚含量、黄酮含量、抗氧化力、还原能力、DPPH清除率.结果表明,益智超临界CO2提取物和正丙醇提取物的总酚含量最高,均为5.53%,乙酸乙酯提取物的总酚含量为4.04%,水提物总酚含量最低,为O.89%.抗氧化力与酚含量相关(R2=0.703).四种提取物中黄酮含量顺序为:乙酸乙酯提取物(6.29%)＞丙醇提取物(5.81%)＞水提取物(4.85%)＞超临界CO2提取物(4.70%).在还原能力、清除DPPH自由基和羟自由基方面,乙酸乙酯提取物表现出了很强的抗氧化能力,呈现剂量依赖关系.     

Antioxidant activity and protective effects of Uncaria rhynchophylla extracts on t-BHP-induced oxidative stress in Chang cells

Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) is widely used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. However, there are few studies on antioxidant activity of UR extracts. The study was aimed at determining the antioxidant activity, the contents of polyphenol and flavonoid of UR extracts. Various assays were employed to evaluate the antioxidant property of water and ethanol extracts from the UR, compared to those of the other natural and synthetic antioxidants. UR extracts had high total phenolic contents in both the water (160 ± 2.32 mg GAE/g extracts) and ethanol extracts (190.2 ± 3.16 mg GAE/g extracts). In addition, total flavonoid contents were high in both the water extracts (154 ± 1.47 mg CE/g extracts) and ethanol extracts (184.2 ± 2.41 CE/g extracts). Specially, DPPH radical scavenging activity of ethanol extracts from UR were similar with vitamin C as a positive control. In addition, antioxidant capacity in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were higher than that for BHT, which was used as a positive control. The antioxidant activity of extracts from UR showed stronger activity than those of vitamin C and α-tocopherol in ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. The ethanol extracts of UR protected on H₂O₂-induced DNA damage. In addition, cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic effect of ethanol extracts from UR was also investigated in t-BHP-induced hepatotoxicity. Therefore, these results indicate that UR extracts have antioxidant properties through its ability to enhance the cell viability, mediation of production of ROS. The UR extracts could be suitable as an antioxidant in the food industry.     

Low-sulfur proteins from α-keratins. Interrelationships between their amino acid compositions, α-helix contents,and the supercontraction of the parent keratin

S-Carboxymethyl (SCM) kerateine preparations from a range of keratins were fractionated by acid precipitation into low-sulfur (SCMKA) and high-sulfur (SCMKB) fractions. Amiono acid analyses and optical rotatory dispersion measurements on the SCMKA fractions from different keratins indicated that the proportion of α-helical material (30–64%) increased with increasing leucine and glutamic acid contents and decreased with increasing SCM-cysteine and proline contents. It is shown that these variations in α-helix contents are due mainly to differences in the conformations of the principal components of the SCMKA fractions, although there is also a smaller contribution arising from contamination with varying amounts of non helical components. The thiol + disulfide contents for the parent keratins were measured and compared with the SCM -cysteine contents of the solubilized fractions. In general the SCM-cysteine contents of the SCMKA fractions increased with increasing thiol + disulfide content of the parent keratin, but these values were not directly proportional. The extent of total supercontraction in 8M LiBr solution was measured for the parent keratins and shown to bear no significant relationship to their disulfide contents. From the extents of first-stage and total supercontractions the disulfide contents of the contractile structures in the fibers were calculated according to a model described previously and compared with the analytical values for the SCM -cysteine contents of the SCMKA and SCMKB fraction. Data for both fractions were consistent with the model in that they were in each case related to the calculated values by a constant factor. However, because of simplifying assumptions in the model, it was not possible to identity positively one or other of these protein fractions with the contractile elements in the fiber.