ABSTRACT
Background: Plants are an important source of antioxidants that can help to cell's normal metabolism via preventing accumulation of free radicals and so, prevent developing diseases associated with oxidative stress. Thus, the present study was performed to determine the antioxidant properties of Artemissia Annua extracts [AA].
Methods and materials: at first, Artemisia Annua with a local name as Gandvash identified and then some parts of its leaves and flowers into powder. Extracting was done using water, ethanol and methanol solvent. FRAP assay was performed to determine the antioxidant properties. For this purpose, extract solutions with 20% concentration were added to FRAP solution and after incubation, the optical absorption values was measured. The ferrous sulfate and vitamin C were used as standard solutions.
Results: the Mean total antioxidant capacity [TAC] for methanolic leaves extract was 72.18 +/- 4.18 micro mol ferrous sulfate and 90.31 +/- 5.27 mg of vitamin C per gram of dry weight, which is considerably higher than other extracts [p<0.001] . TAC of Ethanolic extract of leaves and Methanolic extract of flowers ranked lower in terms of significance . There was no significant difference between aqueous extracts of leaves and flowers in TAC [p>0.05] while, the ethanol extract of the leaves and flowers were different significantly [p <0.01]
Conclusion: Various extracts of A.A showed different TAC values which may result from some differences in efficiency level of solvents used in extracting of plant's antioxidant substances. It seems that the methanol is better solvent in comparison to the ethanol and water for extracting of antioxidant materials.besides, The TAC findings of methanolic extracts of leaves and flowers suggest this is likely that the A.A antioxidant compounds distributed more in the leaves.
ABSTRACT
The role of ion channels and particularly cationic channels in the pathogenesis of various diseases are being considered carefully. The diabetes mellitus is a common disease which is initiated by ion channel disturbances. This study was done to determine the characteristics of hepatocyte rough endoplasmic reticulum single cationic channel in Streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. This experimental study was done on 10 male adult Wistar rats and animals were randomly allocaied into diabetic and control groups. Diabetes induced by STZ [65 mg/kg/bw] intraperitounally. Rough endoplasmic reticulum vesicles were extracted following rat liver excision, homogenization and ultracentrifuging. The bilayer membrane formation was prepared by painting phosphatidylcholine on 250 micro M aperture in between Cis and Trans sides. The RER vesicles incorporation was performed through gentle and delicate touch of membrane using a dentistry needle. The Pclamp9 software was used for ion channel activity characteristic analysis. The cationic channel current amplitude did not change significantly in voltages more than+3o mV but their open probability [Po] decreased in diabetic group [P<0.05]. More severe changes in channel activity were seen in potentials less than the reverse potential. In addition to significant increase of channel Po [P<0.05], also, the channel unitary currents were significantly decreased [P<0.05]. The mean current amplitude and channel open probability in voltage+40 mV were 17 +/- 2.14 pA and 0.68 +/- 0.01 in control group respectively, whereas, the values of these parameters reached to 18.5 +/- 2.5 and 0.26 +/- 0.03, respectively. In voltage-10 mV, the values of mean current amplitude and Po were-22.3 +/- 2.14 pA and<0.1 in control group, respectively but the values changed to-13.1 +/- 0.08 and 0.62 +/- 0.03 in diabetic group. It seems that RER cationic channel is involved in metabolic changes which cause by diabetes mellitus and this disease can cause probably a channel gating kinetic and behavior change by inducing metabolic stresses