Increased concentration of free radicals in vivo contributes to the etiology of musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis. The antioxidant activity of ethanolic and water extracts from a Taiwanese musculoskeletal herb, Milk-Fig-Tree (Ficus erecta Thumb. var. beecheyana King) was evalulated by various assays including DPPH free radical and superoxide scavenging assays, lipid peroxidation assay, and hydroxyl radical-induced DNA strand scission assay. In addition, total phenolics in the extracts were determined. The results indicate that neither ethanolic nor water extracts significantly scavenged DPPH radicals (IC(subscript 50) values are 2.65 mg/mL and 3.66 mg/mL, respectively) or superoxide (IC(subscript 50) values are 3.71 mg/mL and >5 mg/mL, respectively); however, both extracts had moresignificant effects than catechin on the inhibition of lipid peroxidation in rat liver (P<0.05). Moreover, both extracts protected ΦXl74 supercoiled DNA against strand scission induced by UV photolysis and H2O2. The total phenolics content of the ethanolic extract was about twice that of the water extract, which is well correlated with the observed results that the ethanolic extract possesses stronger antioxidant activity than the water extract.
Increased concentration of free radicals in vivo contributes to the etiology of musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis. The antioxidant activity of ethanolic and water extracts from a Taiwanese musculoskeletal herb, Milk-Fig-Tree (Ficus erecta Thumb. var. beecheyana King) was evalulated by various assays including DPPH free radical and superoxide scavenging assays, lipid peroxidation assay, and hydroxyl radical-induced DNA strand scission assay. In addition, total phenolics in the extracts were determined. The results indicate that neither ethanolic nor water extracts significantly scavenged DPPH radicals (IC(subscript 50) values are 2.65 mg/mL and 3.66 mg/mL, respectively) or superoxide (IC(subscript 50) values are 3.71 mg/mL and >5 mg/mL, respectively); however, both extracts had moresignificant effects than catechin on the inhibition of lipid peroxidation in rat liver (P<0.05). Moreover, both extracts protected ΦXl74 supercoiled DNA against strand scission induced by UV photolysis and H2O2. The total phenolics content of the ethanolic extract was about twice that of the water extract, which is well correlated with the observed results that the ethanolic extract possesses stronger antioxidant activity than the water extract.