Antioxidant activity of Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Trautv.)

The stem and root of Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Trautv.) (AB) was traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic and anti-hepatotoxic agent in folk medicine. In this study, cell-free and cell culture systems were employed to investigate the antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of AB (MEAB). The cell-free system showed that the MEAB exhibited dose-dependent antioxidant activities against linoleic acid peroxidation and plasmid DNA oxidation. We also demonstrated that the MEAB possessed strong reducing power and scavenging effects of hydroxyl radicals and DPPH free radicals. The harmful effects of reactive oxygen metabolites on HepG2 cells and the possible antioxidant effects of the MEAB were also investigated. Pretreatment or cotreatment of HepG2 cells with the MEAB could significantly protect cells from H2O2-induced oxidative stress. This implies that the antioxidant effects in cell culture may result from the direct interaction between the MEAB and exogenous oxidant sources, as these occur in cell free systems, as well as from the induction of cellular stress gene expression. The antioxidant activity of the MEAB may partially explain its anti-inflammatory and anti-hepatotoxic effects.