Comparative Antioxidant Activity of an Extract of Lithraea molleoides and an Isolated 5-alkyl Resorcinol Derivative. Effects on the Proliferation of Normal and Tumoral Lymphocytes

PAULA LÓPEZ; GRACIELA FERRARO; CLAUDIA ANESINI

PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2011 vol. 25 p. 271 - 276

0951-418X

Lithraea molleoides (Vell.) Engl. (Anacardiaceae), is known in South America for its medicinal properties:antiarthritic, haemostatic, diuretic, tonic and useful for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Previously theisolation of a new cytotoxic 5-alkyl resorcinol derivative, 1,3-dihydroxy-5-(tridec-4,7-dienyl) benzene, from adichloromethane extract (DM) was reported. The aim of this work was to determine and to compare theantioxidant activity ofDMand the isolated compound, 1,3-dihydroxy-5-(tridec-4,7-dienyl) benzene.Moreover,the activity of both on the proliferation of tumoral and normal lymphocytes was determined.The compound wasisolated and quantified by HPLC. The compound represented 0.036% of DM. The extract and the compoundexerted antioxidant activity by DPPH and FTC methods.On tumoral cells, both exerted antiproliferative actionbut the compound was more active (EC50: 17.4 1 mg/mL). On normal lymphocytes, both exerted a stimulatoryeffect on cell proliferation inversely related to concentration, the extract was more active than the compound(maximum effect: 300 20% of stimulation). Most of the effects observed with the extract were independent ofthe isolated compound. DM could be an important source of antioxidant and immunomodulatory compoundsto be studied on cancer diseases.