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Total Phenolics Level, Antioxidant Activities and Cytotoxicity of Young Sprouts of Some Traditional Korean Salad Plants

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Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to study the antioxidant and anticancer activities of young sprouts of some traditional Korean salad plants. Total phenolics, antioxidant and anticancer activities of the methanol extracts from young sprouts of 11 salad plants were determined. The highest amount of phenolics was found in methanol extracts of Euonymus alatus (235.7 mg kg−1), followed by Hypericum ascyron (197.1 mg kg−1), Zanthoxylum piperitum (194.1 mg kg−1) and Zanthoxylum schinifolium (142.5 mg kg−1). Methanol extracts of E. alatus, H. ascyron, and Z. piperitum at 63 mg kg−1 exhibited the highest dose-depend DPPH radical scavenging activity by 91.2, 91.2 and 83.9%, respectively. According to the MTT results, the methanol extracts from Stellaria aquatica, Eleutherococcus sessilifolrus and Z. schinifolium showed the highest anticancer activities against Calu-6 (IC50 < 25.0 µgml−1) and from S. aquatica—the highest anticancer activities against SNU-601 (153.3 µgml−1), following by E. sessilifolrus (196.7 µg ml−1) and Amaranthus mangostanus (303.1 µgml−1). Total phenolics were highly correlated with the DPPH, suggesting that they contribute to the antioxidant properties of the studied plants. In conclusion: young sprouts of Korean salad possess antioxidant and anticancer properties and could be used as a supplement to proper drugs.

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Abbreviations

BHA:

butylated hydroxyanisole—synthetic antioxidant

BHT:

butylated hydroxytoluene—synthetic antioxidant

Calu-6:

human pulmonary carcinoma—human cancer cell line

DMSO:

dimethyl sulfoxide—commercial solvent

DPPH, 1:

1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl method—free radical scavenging activity test

FAE:

ferulic acid equivalents—determination unit

LDL:

low density lipoprotein—one of the plasma lipids

MTT:

(3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide)—assay for determination of anticancer activity

RPMI-1640:

A medium developed by Moore et. al. at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, and used for the culture of human normal and neoplastic leukocytes

SMU-601:

human gastric carcinoma—human cancer cell line

TBHQ:

tert-butylhydroquinone—synthetic antioxidant

TP:

total phenolics—one of the major natural antioxidants

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Acknowledgment

This research was conducted with support from the 2005 ARPC research fund (105088-33-2-HD110). Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Sook-Young Lee at Chonsun University, Gwangju, Korea, for her technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EFARINET Co. Ltd., BI Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea

    Sang-Uk Chon

  2. Naju Foundation of Natural Dyeing Culture, Naju, 520-931, South Korea

    Buk-Gu Heo

  3. Department of Horticultural Science, Mokpo National University, Muan, 534-729, South Korea

    Yong-Seo Park

  4. Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Naju, 520-715, South Korea

    Dong-Kwan Kim

  5. Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

    Shela Gorinstein

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  1. Sang-Uk Chon
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  2. Buk-Gu Heo
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  3. Yong-Seo Park
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  4. Dong-Kwan Kim
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  5. Shela Gorinstein
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Correspondence to Shela Gorinstein.

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Chon, SU., Heo, BG., Park, YS. et al. Total Phenolics Level, Antioxidant Activities and Cytotoxicity of Young Sprouts of Some Traditional Korean Salad Plants. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 64, 25–31 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-008-0092-x

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