Antioxidant and free radical-scavenging properties of ethanolic
extracts of defatted borage (Borago ocinalis L.) seeds
MAHINDA WETTASINGHE, FEREIDOON SHAHIDI
Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, A1B 3X9, Canada
Received 22 February 1999; accepted 5 May 1999
Abstract
Borage meal exerted a concentration-dependent antioxidant activity in a meat model system. At 2% (w/w), it inhibited (p_0.05) 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), hexanal and total volatile formation in meat by 26.5, 30.5 and 18.6%, respectively. Antioxidant compounds in the meal were concentrated at optimum extraction conditions (in 52% ethanol at 74_C for 62 min) predicted by response surface methodology (RSM). The resulting extract inhibited (p40.05) the coupled oxidation of b-car- otene and linoleate in a b-carotene-linoleate system. The system containing extract at a level providing 200 ppm phenolics retained 81% of the initial b-carotene after 2 h of assay whereas the control retained only 11%. Inhibition (p40.05) of TBARS, hexanal and total volatile formation in a meat system containing 200 ppm extract ranged from 18.9 to 88.3%, depending upon the concentration being tested. The extract inhibited (p40.05) conjugated diene, hexanal and total volatile formation in bulk corn oil (8.3±49.6% inhibition) and corn-oil-in water emulsion (5.2±32.2% inhibition). Hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical- scavenging properties of the extract were somewhat less than, but comparable to, those observed for trans-sinapic acid at similar concentrations of phenolics. At 200 ppm, a 100% quenching of the hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical was evident. The extract scavenged 29±75% of the hydrogen peroxide in assay media after 10 min of assay as compared to 3% reduction in the control. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Antioxidant-and-free-radical-scavenging-properties-of-ethanolic-extracts-of-defatted-borage.pdf
Borago officinalis L. Ficha botánica de interés
apícola en Venezuela, No. 1 Borraja.
PATRICIA VIT.
Apiterapia y Vigilancia Ambiental (APIVA), Departamento Ciencia de los Alimentos,
Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. e-mail: vit@ula.ve
Resumen
En este trabajo se introduce la importancia del estudio de flora apícola en Venezuela, como una continuación del catálogo publicado por López-Palacios en 1986. La ficha seleccionada para dar inicio a esta serie es Borago officinalis, de la familia Boraginaceae. La borraja es una planta medicinal utilizada por la abejas. Produce néctar y polen. El polen es amarillo, prolado, de aproximadamente 35 μm de diámetro, 6-12 colporado. Las pelotas de polen son claras de color gris cremoso. En esta ficha se presenta la descripción botánica, las observaciones apícolas y la utilidad de la borraja.
Palabras clave: Abejas, Borago officinalis, néctar, polen, Venezuela.
Borago-officinalis-L.-Ficha-bot-nica-de-inter-s.pdf
Pharmacological basis for the use of Borago officinalis in gastrointestinal,
respiratory and cardiovascular disorders
ANWARUL HASSAN GILANI, SAMRA BASHIR, ARIF-ULLAH KHANA
a Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
b Department of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan
Received 5 December 2006; received in revised form 16 July 2007; accepted 14 August 2007
Available online 24 August 2007
Abstract
Aim of the study: In this study, we investigated the crude extract of Borago officinalis leaves (Bo.Cr) for its antispasmodic, bronchodilator, vasodilator and cardio-depressant activities to rationalize some of the traditional uses. Materials and methods: Bo.Cr was studied using different isolated tissue preparations including rabbit jejunum, trachea, aorta, and guinea-pig atria.Results: Bo.Cr which was tested positive for flavonoids, coumarins, sterols and tannins produced a concentration-dependent relaxation of spontaneousand K+ (80 mM)-induced contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum preparations, suggestive of Ca++ antagonist effect, which was confirmed when pretreatment of the tissue with Bo.Cr produced a rightward shift in the Ca++ concentration-response curves like that caused by verapamil.
In rabbit tracheal preparations, Bo.Cr relaxed the carbachol (1 M) and K+-induced contractions. Verapamil also produced non-specific inhibitory effect. In rabbit aorta preparations, Bo.Cr exhibited vasodilator effect against phenylephrine and K+-induced contractions similar to verapamil. When tested in guinea-pig atria, Bo.Cr caused inhibition of both atrial force and rate of contractions. Conclusions: These results suggest that the spasmolytic effects of Bo.Cr are mediated possibly through Ca++ antagonist mechanism, which might explain the traditional use of Borago officinalis in hyperactive gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders.© 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Borago officinalis; Antispasmodic; Bronchodilator; Vasodilator; Cardio-depressant; Ca++ antagonist