Inhibition of lipid peroxidation by ternatin, a tetramethoxyflavone from Egletes viscosa L

Ternatin, the 4',5-dihydroxy-3,3',7,8-tetramethoxyflavone from Egletes viscosa L. (Asteraceae) was evaluated for its antiperoxidative effect against lipid peroxidation using CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity and adriamycin-induced hind-paw edema in mice as test models. An increase of melondialdehyde (MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation in liver homogenates and marked elevations of serum ALT, AST and HDL were detected 1 day after carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) administration. These increases were significantly inhibited in ternatin (25 and 50mg/kg i. p.) pretreated mice in a dose dependent way. Also, ternatin at a dose of 50 mg/kg but not at 25 mg/kg caused a significant inhibition of hind-paw edema induced by adriamycin, in a manner similar to vitamin E (300 mg/kg, p. o.), a compound known to be highly effective in protecting against membrane lipid peroxidation. These observations provide in vivo evidence of an antiperoxidative property of ternatin and suggest that it may offer therapeutic potential for the control of lipid peroxided mediated pathologies.