Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of five endemic Ligustrum species leaves from Taiwan flora in vitro

Chi-Rei Wu; Wen-Hsin Lin; You-Cheng Hseu; Jin-Cherng Lien; Yung-Ta Lin; Tzu-Ping Kuo; Hui Ching

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.01.041

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of five endemic Ligustrum species leaves from Taiwan flora in vitro

Food Chem. 2011 Jul 15;127(2):564-71. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.01.041. Epub 2011 Jan 18.

Authors

Chi-Rei Wu¹, Wen-Hsin Lin, You-Cheng Hseu, Jin-Cherng Lien, Yung-Ta Lin, Tzu-Ping Kuo, Hui Ching

Affiliation

¹ Graduate Institute of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No.91, Hsueh Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: crw@mail.cmu.edu.tw.

PMID: 23140701
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.01.041

Abstract

Leaves from the plant species belonging to the genus Ligustrum are widely used as tea or herbal medicine in Europe, China, and Japan. The antioxidant properties of five Ligustrum species from Taiwan were compared using in vitro antioxidant methods such as DPPH radical scavenging, TEAC, and FRAP assays. Cell-based antioxidant methods were used, including Fe(2+)/ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation on brain homogenate and AAPH-induced erythrocyte haemolysis. The amounts of major phenolic compounds from the Ligustrum species, including phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, and iridoids, were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The results showed that all Ligustrum species exhibited antioxidant, radical-scavenging, anti-haemolytic, and lipid peroxidation-inhibiting activities at different magnitudes of potency. A significant correlation was found between antioxidant activity and the amount of antioxidant components, in particular, total phenolics and phenylpropanoids. Among all Ligustrum species from Taiwan, Ligustrum morrisonense is presented as potential source of natural antioxidants.