Phenolic compounds of Triplaris gardneriana can protect cells against oxidative stress and restore oxidative balance

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy Vol. 93; pp. 1261 - 1268
• Main Authors: de Almeida, Thiago Silva, Neto, José Joaquim Lopes, de Sousa, Nathanna Mateus, Pessoa, Igor Parra, Vieira, Leonardo Rogério, de Medeiros, Jackeline Lima, Boligon, Aline Augusti, Hamers, Astrid R.M., Farias, Davi Felipe, Peijnenburg, Ad, Carvalho, Ana Fontenele Urano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01-09-2017
• Subjects: Antioxidants - pharmacology; Brazil; Cell imaging; Cell Line, Tumor; DPPH; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; MCF-7 Cells; Medicinal plant; Oxidation-Reduction - drug effects; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phenols - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Polygonaceae - chemistry; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Seeds - chemistry; TBARS; MCF-7 cells; TBARS; DPPH; Cell imaging; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.07.050

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•Underexploited tropical plants show promising biomedical value.•T. gardneriana is capable of preventing oxidative stress in living cells.•T. gardneriana is capable of restoring oxidative balance in living cells.•The high antioxidant potential of T. gardneriana may contribute to its conservation.
This work aimed to add value to an underexploited plant species from Brazil, Triplaris gardneriana. To that, the phenolic compounds profile of its seed ethanolic extract and fractions was examined by HPLC and the antioxidant capacity assessed using chemical assays as well as in vitro cell imaging. Twelve compounds were quantified and classified as either phenolic acids or flavonoids. The fractionation process did not generate fractions with different compositions except for chloroformic fraction, which showed only 6 out of 12 standard compounds used. DPPH assay revealed samples with a concentration-dependent radical scavenging activity, being methanolic fraction the one with the largest activity (SC50 11.45±0.02μg/mL). Lipid peroxidation assessment, in the presence and absence of stress inducer, showed that particularly the ethanol extract (IC50 26.75±0.08μg/mL) and the ethyl acetate fraction (IC50 6.14±0.03μg/mL) could inhibit lipid peroxidation. The ethyl acetate fraction performed best in chelating iron (48% complexation at 1000μg/mL). Cell imaging experiments showed that the ethanolic extract could protect cells against oxidative stress as well as restore the oxidative balance upon stress induction. In conclusion, T. gardneriana seeds showed a promising phenolic compounds profile and antioxidant activity that may be further exploited.