Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Antioxidant Properties of Diospyros Preussi (Ebenaceae Gurke) Seed Oil

Tochukwu JN Okonkwo¹ , Chinedu JO Okonkwo²

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria; ²Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, Nigeria.

For correspondence:- Tochukwu Okonkwo Email: aquafortisng@yahoo.com Tel:+2348067101645

Received: 3 June 2009 Accepted: 11 October 2009 Published: 21 December 2009

Citation: Okonkwo TJ, Okonkwo CJ. Antioxidant Properties of Diospyros Preussi (Ebenaceae Gurke) Seed Oil. Trop J Pharm Res 2009; 8(6):551-555 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v8i6.11

© 2009 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the lipid peroxidation inhibiting and glutathione-sparing activities (i.e., antioxidant effect) of Diospyros preussi seed oil in male Wistar albino rats.

Methods: The n-hexane extract of the seed (seed oil) of Diospyros preussi (DP) was tested for its antioxidant properties against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress in male Wistar albino rats by evaluating its lipid peroxidation inhibition and glutathione-sparing activity (free radical scavenging effect). Vitamin E, at a dose of 4 ml/kg body weight, was used reference. These parameters were determined in vivo by assaying the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the serum of exposed and normal Wistar albino rats.

Results: At doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg of DP seed oil, the values of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, TBARS, (0.80 ± 0.04 and 0.72 ± 0.01 µg/ml, respectively) were not significantly different (p < 0.05) from the TBARS level of 0.83 ± 0.03 µg/ml induced by the reference, Vitamin E. Animals treated with 1000, 500 and 200 mg/kg doses of DP seed oil manifested glutathione levels of 206.7 ± 6.5, 188.0 ± 4.7 and 156.0±7.6 µg/100 ml of serum, respectively. These levels were significantly different from each other at p < 0.05 as well as the level (138.7 ± 8.0/100 ml) produced by the reference, Vitamin E.

Conclusion: The results indicate that DP seed oil significantly protected the rats from H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, its antioxidant effect is dose-related.

Keywords: Seed oil; Diospyros preussi; (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress; Antioxidant effect, Vitamin E; Lipid peroxidation inhibition; Glutathione-sparing activi