Hypericum Perforatum Extract Modifies Serum and Tumoral Redox Status and Nitric Oxide Metabolites in Mice

Abstract

Plant extracts with antioxidant efficacy and/or suppressive activity on nitric oxide (NO) production are highly being used as supplements by cancer patients. Despite very high concentrations of NO can kill malignant cells; NO can also propagates cancer growth even at supraphysiological levels. Hence, discovery of safe compounds diminishing NO production may be beneficial in reducing cancer progression. Hypericum extracts are shown to exert redox-active efficacies and to reduce NO production in non-malignant conditions; but it is not studied in terms of modifying systemic and tumoral redox status, nitrite and nitrate concentrations. In this study, we showed that Hypericum perforatum extracts significantly reduces intratumoral levels of nitrite and nitrate in solid tumors formed by Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. These results may suggest that Hypericum perforatum extracts may act as efficient adjuvants for malignancies which growth are highly influenced and propagated with NO.

Keywords: Hypericum perforatum; total oxidant status; total antioxidant status; nitric oxide; nitrite; nitrate

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/7-05-05