• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.130-136
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• 2009

The present study was conducted to determine the protective ability of the ethanol extracts of Hypericum scabroides Robson & Poulter (HS) and Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra (HT) against the protein oxidation and DNA damage induced by Fenton system. The ability of HS and HT to prevent oxidative damage to bovine serum albumin (BSA) induced by $Fe^{3+}/H_2O_2$ and ascorbic acid was investigated. The ethanol extracts of HS and HT at different concentrations ($50-1,000{\mu}g/mL$) efficiently prevented protein oxidation induced by hydroxy radical as assayed by protein oxidation markers including protein carbonyl formation (PCO) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The effect of ethanol extracts of HS and HT on DNA cleavage induced by UV-photholysis of $H_2O_2$ using pBluescript M13+ plasmid DNA were investigated. These extracts significantly inhibited DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, HS and HT extracts may be useful in the food industry as effective synthetic antioxidants.