Curcuma caesia (black turmeric), a member of the Zingiberaceae family, is a perennial herb with bluish-black rhizome. In this study, antioxidant potential of sequential extracts of fresh and dried rhizomes was analyzed by DPPH radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing activity and TBARS assay. Total phenol content was estimated by the Folin-Ciocalteau method. C. caesia showed significant antioxidant activity in chloroform, benzene and ethyl acetate extracts. The chloroform extract was highly effective as free radical scavengers, electron-donating agents and reducing molybdate ions except for reducing lipid peroxidation. The highest total phenol content was also exhibited by chloroform and benzene extracts. Antioxidant potential expressed by C. caesia in the sequential extracts could be effectively utilized for identification of the bioactive compounds for future phytopharmacological applications.
Key words: Curcuma caesia, antioxidants, reactive oxygen species, total phenols
Free radicals, which are molecules with unpaired electrons, play a key role in the development of various degenerative diseases, including aging, cancer, inflammation, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders[1,2]. They are formed as intermediates of various biochemical reactions, but when generated in excess can result in oxidative damage to DNA, proteins and lipids[3]. Free radicals containing oxygen, known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), are the most biologically significant free radicals. ROS include the superoxide and hydroxyl radical, plus derivatives of oxygen that do not contain unpaired electrons, such as hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, and hypochlorous acid.
A class of compounds known as a...
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...tudy demonstrates the presence of potent antioxidant activity C. caesia extracts, probably derived from compounds such as flavonoids, phenols and sterols. Solvents with different polarity had significant effects on total phenolic contents, extracted components, and antioxidant activities. Because the specificity and sensitivity are different for each used method, it can be concluded that the same antioxidant samples exhibit different antioxidative values depending on the concentration and the measured antioxidant parameter. The information is of interest to the pharmaceutical industries since the rhizomes are a rich source of antioxidants. This primary information will help in conducting further studies on identification of bioactive constituents, determination of their efficacy by in vivo studies and demonstration of their safety and effectiveness in clinical trials.
Dr. Janis Eells presented a study that was accomplished by her and her students under the title “UNBLINDED BY THE LIGHT: Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Retinal Degenerative Disease”. The purpose of this study is to determine whether photobiomodulation with near-infrared is able to treat retinal degeneration diseases. Thus, they hypothesis that the exposure of a rodent model of methanol toxicity to photobiomodulation (PBM) with near-infrared (NIR) could play a potential role in protecting the retina against the toxic actions of the methanol- derived formic acid. What is known about the topic is that if a small amount of methanol is injected it will rapidly cause permanent blindness. The methanol is metabolized to a mitochondrial toxin, and it is formic acid that can inhibit Cytochrome c Oxidase. This formic acid is able to interrupt mitochondrial function and increases oxidative stress in the retina and optic nerve which eventually leads to blindness. In order to fully test their hypothesis, the rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups: untreated control, LED-treated control, methanol-intoxicated, and LED-treated, methanol-intoxicated rats. they used electroretinogram as a sensitive indicator of retinal function, the experimental rats under methanol intoxication were exposed to three ...
The gaseous free radical nitric oxide is an abundant intracellular messenger molecule that plays a central role in maintenance of health, and is heavily involved in signal transduction in various cells of the body [1]. This molecule acts as a mediator in the regulation of cardiac function as well as having an important role in regulating contractility of the heart and maintenance of vascular tone in the cardiovascular system. As one of the most significant individuals in our discovery of nitric oxide, Dr. Robert Furchgott pioneered our understanding of this molecule through his experiments on the vasorelaxant properties of acetylcholine and the subsequent proposal of the presence of the endothelium derived relaxing factor, which was later identified to be nitric oxide [7]. Given the observation that cardiovascular disorders are the number one cause of death in many nations around the world, research into the vasorelaxant properties seems particularly relevant in order to help combat rising rates of vascular hypertension and high blood pressure. In this paper, the properties of nitric oxide are discussed largely with respect to the cardiovascular system. This paper focuses on the synthesis and characteristics of nitric oxide, the mechanisms of action by which nitric oxide works and the regulation of nitric oxide in the body, and finally a short summary of Robert Furchgott’s contributions to the discovery of nitric oxide and its properties.
After an organism absorbs sulforaphane, it begins to help the organism's body in a number of ways. This molecule is an antioxidant, has anti-aging properties, detoxifies the human body, and most notably, is used in the treatment of cancer. In a UCLA clinical trial, doctors found that due to the work of sulforaphane and Phase II enzyme RNA, cellular oxidative stress went through major shutdown; this in turn lead to the disarmament of asthma. "Several studies have analyzed the biological and molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of synthetic R,S-sulforaphane, which is thought to be a result of its antioxidant properties and its ability to inhibit histone deacetylase enzymes" (Marc A. Riedl, Andrew Saxon, and David Diaz-Sanchez 2011, April 6). Moreover, it has been concluded that sulforaphane can help fight aging by stopping the oxidation of free radicals. Although free radicals will always be absorbed, sulforaphane is one known molecule that can deplete the amount present in humans. Sulforaphane
AGEs alter the mechanical properties of cells and tissues by crosslinking intracellular and extracellular proteins. They also bind to cell surface receptors called receptor for AGEs (RAGE), thus interrupting various cellular processes. Through laboratory experiments, scientists have shown that glycation of mitochondrial proteins, lipids and DNA may induce mitochondrial dysfunction due to a decrease in ATP production and increased free radical formation. The mitochondria are specialized...
In a healthy and young body, both antioxidants and the cell’s own repair capabilities work together to keep the cell intact. However, if the cell has become way too damaged for quite some time and cannot manage all the lesions created by free radicals, it can lose its ability to deal with the damages. This can also be referred to as the oxidative stress that the cells incur. Thus, they die quickly or begin replicating their damaged forms, and create a domino effect of the body gradually not being able to continue maintaining proper functioning
High oxidative a stress is known to cause global cellular damage by creating reactive oxygen species (ROS) which causes damage to proteins, lipids and DNA (15, 82). Oxidative stress increases protein phosphorylation, causing changes to signaling pathways. For example, several phosphatases involved in cancer, apoptosis and aging are inactivated under conditions of high oxidative stress (26). ROS is a known contributor to several diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, kidney disease, and T2DM (25, 27, 105). Known mediators of oxidative stress include transition metals and mitochondrial dysfunction (15, 27). In this project, I will be studying how cellular iron regulation causes an increase in oxidative stress, contributing to cellular damage and disease. Aconitase is an important mediator of oxidative stress, metabolism and iron regulation.
Microbial pigments have antioxidant activity because of their biological functions.and these pigments are Carotenoid ,naphthaquinone,and Violacein.
Vitamin C in the body acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin C loses electrons easily, a characteristic that allows it to perform as an antioxidant. In the body, antioxidants defend against free radicals. A free radical is a molecule with one or more unpaired electrons, which makes it unstable and highly reactive. By donating an electron or two, antioxidants neutralize free radicals and protect other substances from their damage. Figure 1 illustrates how vitamin C can give up electrons to stop free radical damage and then accept them again to become reactivated. This recycling of vitamin C is key to limiting losses and maintaining a reserve of
Another study proposed that CR slowed aging process by increasing resistance to hyperoxidation. As aging progressed in yeast and other animals, the presence of free radicals increased in the cells. Usually, the levels of the...
...inoic acid is a possible way to decrease the oxidative stress levels in the brain.
Lindberg, D. (n.d.). Herbal Medicine: MedlinePlus. U.S National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbal
Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an unpaired number of electrons. Free radicals can be formed when oxygens interact with certain molecules. Once they are formed, free radical can start to make things go wrong. A main concern is the damage they can do when they react with DNA. Cells may function poorly or die if a free radical comes in contact with is. To prevent the damage a free radical can cause, the body uses antioxidants as a defense mechanism Antioxidants are compounds that have the ability to prevent or repair the damage caused by the process of oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which molecules of a substance are broken down into atoms, where the atoms involved lose electrons. With losing electrons, free radicals
These are molecules that are formed as a by product of cellular metabolism. At the same time, they cause oxidative damage to cells as they are oxidized within the body. This in turn causes age related symptoms and has also found to be the condition that ultimately leads to cancer in many people. In those with cancer, this oxidative damage occurs at a much greater pace wherein repair is not possible at the same rate. In addition, the affected cells proliferate fast, causing greater stress and damage to surrounding cells which causes the infection to spread also.
Many research try to find new ways of stopping the aging process. Research discovered that the damage to the molecules which make up out cells is done by highly unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species. Humans need oxygen to stay alive, as this plays an important role in the energy production of cells. Normally the oxygen molecules are converted into water, but sometimes when they don’t take up enough electrons they become highly reactive. These reactive oxygen species which are left after the energy production process can damage the biological molecules, mutate genes, damage lipids which make up the cell membra...
Reshetnikov S., Wasser S., Duckman I., & Tsukor K. (2000). Medicinal value of the genus Tremella Pers. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 2 (3): 345–67