Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Apr 14;16(4):3152-67.
doi: 10.3390/molecules16043152.

Antioxidant activities of Melittis melissophyllum L. (Lamiaceae)

Biljana Kaurinovic  1 , Mira Popovic, Sanja Vlaisavljevic, Milena Raseta
Affiliations

Antioxidant activities of Melittis melissophyllum L. (Lamiaceae)

Biljana Kaurinovic et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Extracts of Melittis melissophyllum leaves in ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water were evaporated to dryness and dissolved in 50% ethanol to make 10% (w/v) solutions. The potential protective action of the extracts was assessed by the corresponding in vitro and in vivo tests. In the in vitro experiments extracts were tested as potential scavengers of free radicals (DPPH, O₂·⁻, NO, and OH radicals), as well as inhibitors of liposomal peroxidation (LPx). The results obtained show that all extracts (exept n-BuOH extract) are good scavengers of radicals and reduce LPx intensity in liposomes, which points to their protective (antioxidant) activity. In vivo experiments were concerned with antioxidant systems (activities of GSHPx, GSHR, Px, CAT, XOD, GSH content and intensity of LPx) in liver homogenate and blood-hemolysate of experimental animals after their treatment with extracts of M. melissophyllum leaves, or in combination with CCl₄. On the basis of the results obtained it can be concluded that the examined extracts have protective (antioxidative) effect and this antioxidative behaviour is more pronounced in liver than in blood-hemolysate. The reason is probably the fact that liver contains other enzymatic systems, which can also participate in the antioxidative mechanism. Of all the extracts the H₂O one showed the highest protective activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Inhibition of degradation of 2-deoxyribose by different extracts of M. melissophyllum in the deoxyribose assay.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Inhibition of LP in Fe2+/ascorbate system of induction by different extracts of M. melissophyllum in the TBA assay.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Halliwell B. Antioxidants and Human Disease: A general Introduction. Nutr. Rev. 1997;55:44–52. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1997.tb06100.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shirwaikar A., Rajendran K., Kumar C.D. In vitro antioxidant studies of Annoasquamosa Linn. Leaves. Leaves. Ind. J. Exp. Biol. 2004;42:803–807. - PubMed
    1. Halliwell B., Gutteridge J.M.C. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. Clarendon Press; Oxford, UK: 1986. pp. 183–189.
    1. Blumenthal M. The Complete German Commission E Monographs. American Botanical Council; Austin, TX, USA: 1999.
    1. Bruneton J. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. 2nd. Intercept Ltd.; London, UK: 1999.

Publication types