The antioxidant potential of Sutherlandia frutescens

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 95; no. 1; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Fernandes, Antonio C., Cromarty, A. Duncan, Albrecht, Carl, Jansen van Rensburg, Constance E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-11-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antioxidant; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fabaceae; Free radicals; General pharmacology; Humans; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Neutrophils - drug effects; Neutrophils - metabolism; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Scavenging; Sutherlandia; Sutherlandia frutescens; Sutherlandia frutescens subsp. microphylla; Southern Africa; Sutherlandia frutescens; Free radicals; Antioxidant; Scavenging; Pharmacognosy; Radical scavenger; Free radical; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.05.024

One of the best-known multi-purpose medicinal plants in Southern Africa,
Sutherlandia frutescens subsp.
microphylla (family: Fabaceae/Leguminosa), is used for a wide range of conditions, including cancer, viral diseases and inflammatory conditions. Little scientific data has been documented on the mechanism by which
Sutherlandia frutescens acts on the immune system. Phagocyte derived reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals, are responsible for the pathogenesis of various inflammatory conditions. Anti-inflammatory properties of various medicinal-plant extracts have been explained, at least in part, by their antioxidant activities. We investigated the effects of a hot water extract of
Sutherlandia frutescens on both luminol and lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence of neutrophils stimulated with
l-formyl-
l-methionyl-
l-leucyl-
l-phenylalanine (FMLP) as well as its superoxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging properties in a cell free system. The results indicate that
Sutherlandia frutescens extract possesses superoxide as well as hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities at concentrations as low as 10
μg/ml, which could account for some of the anti-inflammatory properties that have been described.