Antioxidant characteristics of Dichrostachys glomerata spice extracts Características antioxidantes de los extractos de la especia Dichrostachys glomerata

Abstract

The antioxidant activity of aqueous extract, ethanol extract, and hydroethanolic pod extract of a Cameroonian spice Dichrostachys glomerata (D. glomerata) was investigated. When compared with the two other extracts, the aqueous extract exhibited the lowest phenolic content, AEABTS (Antiradical Efficiency) and AEDPPH values whereas the ethanol extract had the highest phenolic content, AEABTS and AEDPPH values. The DPPH (α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl) radical and ABTS (2, 2′ -azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical scavenging activities were proven and correlated with the reductive potential and phenolic content of the extracts with r 2 greater than 0.9. All extracts had effective, superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide scavenging activity, at all tested concentrations in a concentration-dependent manner. Each extract showed a concentration-dependent effect on chelating activity and α-linoleic acid oxidation inhibition activity. When compared with the controls, each extract significantly decreased malondialdehyde and lipid hydroperoxides formation in low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The hydroethanolic extract exhibited the highest inhibition of LDL oxidation. These results suggest that pods from D. glomerata can be good source of natural antioxidants. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.