PRO-OXIDATIVE ACTIVITY IN SOME THAI SPICES

Twenty methanolic extracts from Thai spice powder (anise, cardamom, chilli, Chinese key, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, deeplee, dill, fennel, galangal, kencur, lemongrass, ginger, nutmeg, oregano, pepper, safflower, and turmeric) were screened for pro-oxidative activity using a lecithin-liposome model system.
The oxidative stress was induced by four systems: (I) non-metal induction; (II) FeCl₃/H₂O₂/EDTA; (III) FeSO₄/ascorbate; and (IV) CuSO₄/H₂O₂. Of these spices, safflower, lemongrass, and nutmeg extracts showed the pro-oxidative activity observed by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance elevation.
Since pro-oxidation were metal dependent, hydroxyl radical formation was investigated by monitoring fluorescence products from benzoate hydroxylation.
The formation of hydroxyl radical was confirmed with the fluorescence detected and the suppression due to addition of mannitol, a hydroxyl radical scavenger.

III WOCMAP Congress on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants – Volume 6: Traditional Medicine and Nutraceuticals

K. Dumri, S. Letsiri

hydroxyl radical, lemongrass, nutmeg, oxidative stress, safflower

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.680.2