Flower Extract of Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis Modulates Glutathione Level in Hydrogen Peroxide Treated Lymphocytes

Background: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn (Oleaceae) is a well-known traditional medicinal plant used throughout the India as an herbal remedy for treating various infectious and non-infectious diseases. Objective: To evaluate the antioxidative activity of hydro-alcoholic extract of flower in the lymphocytes exposed to oxidative stress induced by H ₂ O ₂ . Materials and Methods: Isolated lymphocytes were treated in vitro with extract or extract+H ₂ O _², and the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as the activity of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured. Results: Treatment of lymphocyte with flower extract (50, 100, and 200 μg/ ml) significantly increased the level of GSH and decreased the activity of GST. The LDH activity measured in the cell-free medium decreased significantly. Pre-treatment of lymphocyte with flower extract protects the lymphocyte from the H ₂ O ₂ induced oxidative stress by significantly increasing the levels of GSH as compared to the cells treated only with H 2 O 2 . Pre-treatment also reduced the activity of LDH significantly as compared to the cells treated only with H ₂ O ₂ . The LDH activity in cell-free medium is associated with membrane damage, the decreased levels of LDH activity reflects the reduced level of membrane damage due to H ₂ O ₂ . Conclusion: The present findings suggest the protective role of the hydro-alcoholic extracts of the flower of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis against membrane damage induced by H ₂ O ₂ . The results also suggest that the extract might be rich in phytochemicals with antioxidant/radical scavenging potentials, which might find application in antioxidant therapy.