In search of a new potent as an
antioxidant from natural sources,
plumieride-an
iridoid isolated from the
methanol extract of the bark of Plumeria bicolor (family Apocynaceae) was evaluated for its
antioxidant potential against CCl₄-induced peroxidative damage in liver of rats. The
antioxidant potential was evaluated by using hepatic tissue for SOD (
superoxide dismutase), CAT (
catalase), GSH (
reduced glutathione), GPx (
glutathione peroxidase), GR (
glutathione reductase) and LPO (lipid peroxidation) alongwith the concomitant blood serum for AST &
amp; ALT (
aspartate and
alanine transaminases), GGT (
gamma glutamyl transpeptidase), ALP (
alkaline phosphatase), total
bilirubin and total
protein contents. All the biochemical parameters were significantly (p ≤ 0.001) altered by CCl₄ (0.3 mL/kg
body weight/twice a week, intra-peritoneally for 30 days). Simultaneously, oral treatment with
plumieride (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg
body weight/day for 30 days), restored all the parameters towards a normal level, remarkably. The histological findings of liver sections further corroborated the
antioxidant potential of
plumieride compared with standard
drug-
silymarin. In conclusion,
plumieride consists of
sugar molecules, which have alcoholic groups. Therefore, the alcoholic groups of
sugar increase its
antioxidant potential through intermolecular hydrogen bonding along with the
thiol(SH) group of non-
protein thiols and
enzymes resulting in the restoration of the
antioxidant system. Therefore, it might be considered a natural
antioxidant against peroxidative damage in rats.