Affiliations: Istituto di Chimica Biologica "Giorgio Fornaini",
Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino (PU), Italy | Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università
Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Prof. Marina Dachà - Istituto di
Chimica Biologica "Giorgio Fornaini", Università degli Studi di Urbino
"Carlo Bo", Via Saffi, 2 – 61029 Urbino (PU), Italy. Tel.: +39 0722 305245;
Fax: +39 0722 327688; E-mail: m.dacha@uniurb.it
Abstract: Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) is a plant living at high
altitudes in Europe and Asia. Its roots have long been used in the traditional
medical system of these geographical areas to increase the organism resistance
to physical stress; today, it has become an important component of many dietary
supplements. In this study we investigate the antioxidant capacity of the
R. rosea aqueous extract evaluating its ability to counteract some of the main
damages induced by hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a powerful oxidant generated by
activated phagocytes, to human erythrocytes. Ascorbic acid was used as a
reference substance because of its physiological HOCl-scavenging ability. Our
study demonstrates that R. rosea is able to significantly protect, in a
dose-dependent manner, human RBC from glutathione (GSH) depletion,
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inactivation and hemolysis
induced by the oxidant. Furthermore, we demonstrate that R. rosea aqueous
extract acts from the inside of the erythrocyte suggesting a probable involving
of cell components. The protection on GSH afforded by the R. rosea
extract with respect to ascorbic acid, occurred also if added 2 or 5 min. later
than the oxidant, suggesting a more rapid or powerful effect.
