Background
Sarcandra glabra (Caoshanhu) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for treating various oxidative-stressed diseases. The present work evaluated its protective effect on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from oxidative stress and then discussed possible mechanisms underlying this observation.
Methods
Ethanolic extract of S. glabra (ESG) was investigated by chemical methods for its content of total phenolics, rosmarinic acid, and astilbin. ESG, along with rosmarinic acid and astilbin, was investigated for the effect on the viability of Fenton-treated MSCs using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl (MTT) assay. The observed cell protective effect was further explored by mechanistic chemistry using various antioxidant assays, including DNA protection, ?OH-scavenging, ?O2 ?-scavenging, FRAP (ferric ion reducing antioxidant power), ABTS+?-scavenging, DPPH?-scavenging, and Fe2+-chelating assays.
Results
Analysis of ESG revealed a content of 46.31?±?0.56 mg quercetin/g total phenolics, 0.78?±?0.01 % rosmarinic acid, and 3.37?±?0.01 % astilbin. Results from the MTT assay revealed that three compounds (rosmarinic acid>astilbin>ESG) could effectively increase the survival of Fenton-treated MSCs. Similarly, in ?O2 ?-scavenging, DPPH?-scavenging, and Fe2+-chelating assays, rosmarinic acid exhibited more activity than astilbin; while in FRAP, ABTS+?-scavenging assays, astilbin was stronger than rosmarinic acid.
... Chemicals. Rosmarinic acid (CAS 20283-92-5, 98 %) was purchased from Shanghai Aladdin Chemistry Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China); Astilbin (CAS 29838-67-3, 98 %) was from Chengdu Biopurify Phytochemicals Ltd. (Chengdu, China). ...
