Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai is a Korean endemic plant of the Oleaceae family that contains acteoside, a glycosylated caffeic acid, with neuroprotective, anti‑inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Previous studies, involving Accelerated Chromatographic Isolation, a high‑performance liquid chromatography‑photodiode array detector and a liquid chromatograph‑mass selective detector, isolated and identified acteoside in A. distichum (AAD) and documented its antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory activities. The aim of the present study was to determine whether AAD could protect from DNA damage by reducing oxidative stress. AAD treatment protected plasmid DNA against damage to DNA double‑strands induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased the levels of phosphorylated p53 and γ‑H2AX in ROS‑treated NIH 3T3 cells. These findings suggested that AAD could reduce ROS‑mediated cellular damage and may represent an effective, natural antioxidant with the ability to protect genetic material.
Keywords: Abeliophyllum distichum; acteoside; oxidative damage; p53.