Protective effects of selected medicinal plants against protein degradation, lipid peroxidation and deformability loss of oxidatively stressed human erythrocytes

• Published in: Phytotherapy research 2004-04, Vol.18 (4), p.280-284
• Main Authors: Suboh, S. M., Bilto, Y. Y., Aburjai, T. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alanine - drug effects; Alanine - metabolism; Artemisia; Biological and medical sciences; erythrocyte deformability; Erythrocyte Deformability - drug effects; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Ferula; Garlic; General pharmacology; H2O2; Hibiscus; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Nigella; Osmotic Fragility - drug effects; oxidative stress; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal; protein degradation; Teucrium; Trigonella
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1380

The effects of seven medicinal plants including Artemisia herba‐alba, Ferula hermonis, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Nigella sativa, Teucrium polium, Trigonella foenum‐graecum, and Allium sativum on protein degradation, lipid peroxidation, erythrocyte deformability and osmotic fragility of erythrocytes exposed in vitro to 10 mM H2O2 for 60 min at 37 °C have been examined. Preincubation of erythrocytes with Nigella sativa and Allium sativum protected erythrocytes against protein degradation, loss of deformability and increased osmotic fragility caused by H2O2, while the other plants failed to protect erythrocytes against these damages. Artemisia herba‐alba did not protect erythrocytes against lipid peroxidation, while Trigonella foenum‐graecum unexpectedly increased lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes exposed to H2O2. Ferula hermonis, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Nigella sativa, Teucrium polium and Allium sativum protected erythrocytes against lipid peroxidation. The results indicate the importance of oxidatively damaged cellular proteins in compromising the rheologic behaviour of the erythrocytes, and that the medicinal plants which have anti‐protein‐oxidant activity (e.g. Nigella sativa and Allium sativum) could be rheologically useful, particularly in pathological conditions related to free radicals. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.