Antihemolytic and antioxidant activities of Biebersteinia multifida.

OBJECTIVES: Biebersteinia multifida is a common herb known in Iran. Its roots have been used locally in folk medicine of western region of Iran in the treatment of many diseases. The antioxidant activity and its inhibition of erythrocyte hemolysis were investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH), nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities, Fe2+ chelating ability, reducing power and hemoglobin-induced linoleic acid peroxidation were used to evaluate antioxidant activities. Antihemolytic activity was evaluated by H2O2 induced hemolysis in rat erythrocyte. The total amount of phenolic compounds was determined as gallic acid equivalents and total flavonoid contents were calculated as quercetin equivalents from a calibration curve. RESULTS: Root had higher phenol contents (80.1 +/- 3.1 mg ml(-1)) and showed highest activity in DPPH radical-scavenging activity (95.9 +/- 3.2 microg ml(-1)). It also showed better reducing power than other parts. In Fe2+ chelating, leaf extract was the most potent (789 +/- 33 microg ml(-1)). Extracts exhibited good H2O2 scavenging in a concentration dependent manner. All extracts exhibited good protection against hemoglobin-catalyzed peroxidation linoleic acid system. In nitric oxide scavenging model, root extract showed the best activity (696 +/- 2.7 microg ml(-1)). Root and leaf extracts contained total phenol and flavonoids contents than other extracts. Tested extracts show weak activity in H2O2 induced hemolysis in rat erythrocyte which was not comparable with vitamin C. CONCLUSIONS: Biebersteinia multifida extracts exhibited different levels of antioxidant and antihemolytic activities in all tested models. Biological effects may be attributed, at least in part, to the presence of phenols and flavonoids in the extracts.