Comparison of antioxidative and antitumor activities of six flavonoids from Epimedium koreanum / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the antioxidative and antitumor activities of flavonoids isolated from Epimedium koreanum.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The compounds were separated by column chromatography with silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, and identified by spectral a- nalysis (ESI-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR) respectively. DPPH radical scavenging assay and MTT assay were used to observe the antioxidative and antitumor abilities.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Six compounds were isolated from the the ethyl acetate extract of the aerial part. Their structures were identified as icariin (I), luteolin (II), baohuoside II (III), hyperoside (IV), epimedokoreanin B (V) and baohuoside I (VI). The results indicated that at concentrations of 3. 125-200 micromol x L(-1), compound I, III and VI had no ability to scavenge the DPPH radical, but the scavenging ability of compounds II, IV and V were stronger than that of Vit C in dose-dependant manner. Compounds I, II, V and VI could inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 and HepG2 in dose-dependant manner, but compounds III and IV had no effect on the proliferation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The antitumor activity of E. koreanum may be partially related to the antioxidantive activity of flavonoids.</p>