Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The antioxidant potential of an aqueous extract obtained from Pieris brassicae larvae reared on
Brassica oleracea L. var. costata DC was evaluated against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and
several reactive oxygen species. The results revealed an effective concentration-dependent protective
activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, being superior to that of the host plant. In addition,
the larvae extract also exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase that was not observed
for B. oleracea var. costata. A weak scavenging ability was noticed for hypochlorous acid. Several
phenolic compounds with complex chemical structures that are hard to synthesize in the laboratory
were found in P. brassicae extract. This is the first time that an insect has been tested for its xanthine
oxidase inhibitory capacity, which proved to be very high. These findings are interesting considering
that they can be used by food or pharmaceutical industries to prevent the oxidation of their products,
to increase the dietary supply of antioxidants, or for prevention of free radical-mediated diseases,
namely, gout.
Description
Keywords
Pieris brassicae Brassica oleracea var. costata Phenolic compounds Antioxidant activity
Citation
Sousa, C.; Pereira, D.M.; Valentão, P.; Ferreres, F.; Pereira, J.A.; Seabra, R.M.; Andrade, P.B. (2009). Pieris brassicae inhibits xanthine oxidase. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. ISSN 0021-8561. 57:6, p. 2288-2294
Publisher
ACS