Comparing an in vitro electrochemical measurement of superoxide scavenging activity with an in vivo assessment of antioxidant potential in Chinese tonifying herbs

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 149 - 153
• Main Authors: Beissenhirtz, Moritz K., Kwan, Roger C. H., Ko, K. M., Renneberg, Reinhard, Scheller, F. W., Lisdat, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-02-2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidant; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; biosensor; Carbon Tetrachloride; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control; cytochrome c; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Electrochemistry; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; General pharmacology; herbs; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Protective Agents - pharmacology; superoxide; Superoxides - metabolism; Asia; China; biosensor; Pharmacognosy; carbon tetrachloride; Antioxidant; In vitro; Radical scavenger; Biological activity; Medicinal plant; herbs; In vivo; Hyperoxides; Plant origin; cytochrome c; superoxide
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1408

The in vitro superoxide scavenging activity (as determined by electrochemical measurement) and the in vivo antioxidant potential (as determined by a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) hepatotoxicity) of methanolic extracts prepared from 10 Chinese tonifying herbs were compared. Electrochemical measurement using a cytochrome c (Cyt. c) sensor showed that all of the tested herbal extracts exhibited a medium superoxide scavenging activity of different potency, as indicated by their IC50 values. The in vivo measurement demonstrated that 80% of the herbal extracts displayed in vivo antioxidant potential, as assessed by the percentage of protection of the activity of plasma alanine aminotransferases and the hepatic glutathione regeneration capacity under CCl4‐intoxicated condition. Although the in vitro antioxidant activity did not correlate quantitatively with the in vivo antioxidant potential, for 8 out of 10 samples a similar tendency was found. The rapid amperometric assessment of antioxidant potential by Cyt. c sensor may offer a convenient and direct method for screening as well as the quality control of herbal products. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.