Antioxidant and DNA Damage Protective Effects of Asparagus racemosus in Human Colon and Mice Muscle Cells

Introduction: The present study was designed to investigate the in vitro antioxidant and macromolecule damage protective effects of Asparagus racemosus water (AWE) and methanolic (AME) fractions of roots. Methods: The in vitro antioxidant activity of AWE/AME was estimated by free radical scavenging assays. The DNA damage of HT29 and C2C12 cells was analyzed by comet assay. The plasmid DNA damage and protein oxidation were carried out by agarose gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE analysis respectively, where as lipid peroxidation was performed by TBARS assay. Results: Both the extracts showed scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 417.4 ± 19.5 / 298 ± 13.5, 381 ± 18.2 / 235 ± 11.9, 54.8 ± 2.95 / 31.6 ± 1.52, 28.9 ± 1.73 / 19.7 ± 1.55 μg/mL for DPPH, metal chelating, ABTS and Nitric oxide scavenging activities respectively. Similarly the methanolic extract showed more potent reducing power and total antioxidant activities over water fraction. The AME showed 56.8% and 41.2% protection against H₂O₂ (Hydrogen peroxide) induced DNA damage of HT29 human colon cells and C2C12 murine myoblasts. The extract also showed protection against H₂O₂ induced plasmid DNA damge, AAPH induced protein oxidation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lipid peroxidation of rat hepatic tissue. Conclusion: Over all this study showed remarkable antioxidant and macromolecule damage protective effects of A.racemosus. The observed biological properties may be attributed to the high content phenols and flavonoids in the methanolic extract A. racemosus over water extract.

Key words: AAPH, Asparagus racemosus, C2C12, HT29, Protein oxidation, Single cell gel electrophoresis.