Abrus precatoriusLeaves:Antioxidant Activity in Food and Biological Systems, pH, and TemperatureStability

[摘要] Natural antioxidants present in foods and other biological materials have attracted considerable interest because of their presumed safety and potential nutritional and therapeutic effects. Antioxidant constituents of plant materials act as radical scavengers and convert the radicals to less reactive species.Abrus precatorius(AP)was analyzed for its proximate and phytochemical composition. The leaves were extracted with methanol (ME) and analyzed for antioxidant activity by radical scavenging method, reducing power, ferric reducing capacity, andin vitroinhibition of Fenton’s reagent-induced oxidation in oil emulsion and microsomes. In addition, the effect of temperature (100∘C, 15, and 30 min) and pH (4.5, 7, and 9) C on the antioxidant activity of ME was investigated. The leaves were rich intotal polyphenols, flavonoids,β-carotene, glutathione,α-tocopherol,and ascorbic acid. The ME exhibitedvarying degree of antioxidantactivity in a dose-dependent manner. The AP exhibited more inhibition of oxidation in microsomes (73%) than compared to oil emulsion (21%). Heat treatment resulted in an increase of radical scavenging activity of extract (28% to 43%).At pH 4.5 the extract exhibited more antioxidant activity and stability compared to pH 7 and 9. Data indicates that potential exists for the utilization ofAbrus precatoriusas a natural antioxidant.

[学科分类] 药学