A Study On The Effects Of The Nonvolatile Parts Of Three Aromatic Plants On Antioxidation And Protection Of Cultured Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells And Smooth Muscle Cells Against Oxidative Damage

In recent years, natural antioxidants that were used to substitute synthesized antioxidants have become trends of international and domestic research. Aromatic plants have been widely paid attention due to their ability of antioxidation. However, most studies were focused on essential oils. The studies on the nonvolatile parts are limited, especially on their abilities for scavenging free radical and protecting oxidative damaged cardiovascular cells.In the present study the nonvolatile parts of dry leaves from Ocimum basilicum Linn, and Citus meyeri Y cv., flowers from Rosa rugosa Thunb. (below called basil, lemon and rose) were taken as experiment material. Seven chemiluminescence systems and two colorimetric systems were used to systemically evaluate their capacity of antioxidation and that of preventing DNA damage caused by ? OH. The effect and mechanism of three aromatic plants protecting cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells from oxidative damage were also studied to evaluate their anti-athrosclerosis activities.The experiments revealed that basil, lemon and rose could not only directly scavenge O₂^-, but also reduce the production of O2^- through inhibiting the bioactivity of xanthine oxidase. The experiments revealed that basil, lemon and rose could efficiently scavenge ? OH , H₂O₂, (ONOO)^-, CO₃^- and DPPH , inhibit lipid peroxidation. Basil and lemon could obviously inhibit and delay DNA damage caused by ? OH , acting as mixing-type antioxidants. Results of MTT method showed that basil, lemon and rose had promoting effect on proliferation of EC and inhibiting effect on proliferation of SMC. The results also indicated that basil, lemon and rose could dose-dependently increase the activities of SOD, CAT and the level of GSH , inhibit the production of lipid peroxidation and (ONOO)^- in the EC and SMC or in the medium of the two while cultured bovine aortic EC and SMC were damaged by H₂O₂. Basil, lemon and rose can also inhibit apotosis in EC and SMC. Results revealed that basil, lemon and rose could possibly protect cardiovascular system from oxidative damage, prevent and cure athrosclerosis by increasing the oxidase activities and scavengingROS and RNS directly.The results also showed that basil, lemon and rose all contain a certain flavonoids and phenols. The antioxidative abilities were correlated with their content of flavonoids, which suggested that flavonoids in basil, lemon and rose are the primary effective element.Above results indicated that basil, lemon and rose were very effective antioxidants and free-radical scavengers and it was suggested that basil, lemon and rose could prevent cardiovascular diseases. These experiments provide new data for the further exploitation of basil, lemon and rose and establish theoretic base for the function study of them on food, hygiene and medicine.