<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="6.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>12</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sanjay Prahalad Umachigi</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">K N Jayaveera</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">C. K. Ashok Kumar</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">G S Kumar</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Antioxidant Potential of galls of Quercus infectoria, </style></title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year></dates><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nowadays, the fact of harmful effect of reactive oxygen species on human health is well-known. The capability of natural defense systems of living organisms against excess production of these species decreases when influenced with negative environmental factors or aging. As a result, different cellular and extracellular components, and especially nucleic acids, are damaged, causing or enhancing a number of degenerative diseases. Therefore, antioxidants that scavenge free radicals are of great value in preventing such “oxidative” pathologies. That is why natural products with antioxidant properties become more and more popular all over the world. Natural phenolic phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables have been receiving increased interest from consumers and researchers for their beneficial health effects on coronary heart diseases and cancers mainly due to their antioxidant activity. 1 As plants produce a lot of antioxidants to control the oxidative stress caused by sunbeams and oxygen, they can represent a source of new compounds with antioxidant activity. Among natural antioxidants, phenolic antioxidants are in the forefront since all the phenolic classes (simple phenolics, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and flavonoids) have the structural requirements of free radical scavengers and antioxidants 2 

Quercus infectoria Olivier (Fagaceae) is a small tree or a shrub mainly present in Greece, Asia Minor, Syria and Iran. The tree capitulates galls that emerge on its shoots as a consequence of assault of gall wasp, Cypnis gallae tincotoriae 3 . The galls of Q. infectoria have a great medicinal value and have pharmacologically been deciphered to be astringent, antidiabetic, antitremorine, local anaesthetic, antipyretic and antiparkinsonian 4,5 . In Asian countries, the galls of Q. infectoria have been used for centuries in oriental traditional medicines for treating inflammatory diseases 6,7 Gargle of hot water extract of galls is very effective against inflamed tonsils, while direct application of boiled and bruised galls on skin effectively cures any swelling or inflammation 8 . The application of powdered galls in the form of ointment also cures hemorrhoids caused by inflammation of the skin 6 

Report suggest the presence of tannoid principles 7 which are known antioxidants, we studied the antioxidant potential of the extract and also the percentage of gallic acid by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), which may be responsible for the antioxidant activity. HPLC and GC are efficient but time consuming methods; HPTLC on the other hand is relatively simple and a non expensive assay method, which does not require any experience, equipment or complex derivatization process. 

Thus present study aims to assess the antioxidant potential of methanolic extract of Quercus infectoria. We also report the presence HPTLC Densitometric quantification method of gallic acid, which contributes to the antioxidant activity of the galls. Plant extracts were tested for different free radical scavenging activities including the 1,1-diphenyl 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, their capacity to reduce lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate, radical scavenging potential using chemiluminescence and their total antioxidant capacity. Also the percentage of gallic acid present in the extract was evaluated using HPTLC.

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