Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of hydroalcoholic and methanolic extracts of Scrophularia striata: Inhibition of albumin protein denaturation and stabilization of erythrocyte membrane

The use of herbal compounds with antioxidant properties can be used as an important strategy to reduce inflammatory diseases by reducing oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of methanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts of this plant on the inhibition of albumin denaturation as well as the inhibition of erythrocyte hemolysis.

In this study, methanol and hydroalcoholic extract of Scrophularia striata were prepared and total phenol and flavonoids were calculated spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant activity of the plant extracts at different concentrations )25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600 µg/ml) was investigated by DPPH method. In protein denaturation inhibition, 1% bovine serum albumin was added to different concentrations of the extract and after heating the percentage of inhibition for albumin denaturation was calculated. In the RBC membrane immobilization assay, to non-clot RBC, different concentrations of the extract were added and after heating the percentage of hemolysis inhibition was calculated.

The results showed that the amount of phenol and flavonoid in each extract was different and the methanolic extract of Scrophularia striata was higher. IC50 of methanolic extract of Scrophularia striata with DPPH test equals 312.4 µg/ml, anti-inflammatory protein denaturation inhibition test, 393.2 µg/ml and anti-inflammatory erythrocyte membrane immobilization test 502.52 µg/ml, which are lower than the IC50 of thirsty hydroalcoholic extract. In addition, there is a direct relationship between antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and extract doses.