Exp Mol Med.  2001 Dec;33(4):263-268.

Free radical scavenging and antioxidant enzyme fortifying activities of extracts from Smilax china root

• Lee SE
• Ju EM
• Kim JH

Abstract

The extract from Smilax china root has been used as medicinal remedy and reported to retain antimicrobial and antimutagenic acitivities. In this study, a possible presence of antioxidant activity of Smilax china root extract was investigated. Methanol extract (Me) revealed the presence of high 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity (IC50 7.4 microg/ml) and protective property of cell's viability. Further fractionation with various solvent extraction and assay showed high levels of DPPH free radical scavenging activity in the ethyl acetate, butanol and water extracted fractions. In addition, V79-4 cells treated with Me of Smilax china root induced an increase of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in a dose-dependent manner between 4-100 microg/ml. These results suggest that the medicinal component of the root of Smilax china extracts also contains antioxidant activity.

Keyword

Antioxidant activity; antioxidant enzymes; lipid peroxidation; radical scavenging; Smilax china root

MeSH Terms

Animal
Antioxidants/*pharmacology
Catalase/drug effects/metabolism
Cell Line
Cell Survival
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Fibroblasts/drug effects/metabolism
Free Radical Scavengers/chemistry/isolation & purification/*pharmacology
Free Radicals/metabolism
Glutathione Peroxidase/drug effects/metabolism
Hamsters
Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects
Lung/cytology
Plant Extracts/chemistry/*pharmacology
Plant Roots/*chemistry
Plants, Medicinal
Superoxide Dismutase/drug effects/metabolism