Antioxidant activity of different extracts of Argentinian medicinal plants against arsenic-induced toxicity in renal cells.

SORIA, EA; CANTERO, JJ; GOLENIOWSKI, ME; BONGIOVANNI, GUILLERMINA A.

HUMAN EXP. TOXICOL.

SAGE Publications

Año: 2008 vol. 27 p. 341 - 346

0960-3271

Chronic toxicity of arsenic resulting from drinking water is a human health problem, especially in South-America and Asia, where a correlation between oxidative stress, tumor promotion and arsenic exposure has been observed. Differential solvent extraction (petroleum ether (PE); dichloromethane (DCM); methanol (OL); water (W) was performed to compare the protective (antioxidant) activity of five Argentinian medicinal plants on arsenite-induced oxidative stress in Vero cells, assayed by hydroperoxide measurement. Statistics: ANOVA followed by the LSD Fisher test. Data showed that arsenite was a pro-oxidant agent in a time-dose-dependent manner. Extracts from Eupatorium buniifolium (PE), Lantana grisebachii (PE, W), Mandevilla pentlandiana (PE, W) and Sebastiania commersoniana (DCM, OL, W) prevented the formation of both aqueous and lipid hydroperoxides, but Heterothalamus alienus only impeded lipid ones. Therefore, antioxidant extracts are potentially beneficial and may have a protective activity against arsenite-induced renal injury. Among these, the aqueous extract of L. grisebachii may represent the most suitable preparation for humans since the traditional usage of this plant in popular medicine is through drinking tea.