Antioxidative Properties of Ginseng Leaf Flavonoids on Cellular Membranes

Abstract

The major flavonoid component of Ginseng leaf is trifolin, a glycoside of kaempferol. To evaluate the antioxidative properties of trifolin and kaempferol on cellular membranes, we compared them with the other flavonoids through the 102-Induced photohemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes. All the flavonoid aglycones including kaempferol, quercetin and baicalein protected effectively the cells from the 102-caused damage in a dose- dependent manner, by scavenging 102 and free radicals in the cellular membranes. The solubilization of the flavonoid aglycones into micelles or erythrocyte membranes was deduced from spectro-photometric and microscopic observations. The flavonoid glycosides were not protective or less protective than their corresponding aglycones, and trifolin was the only glycoside that exhibited a solubilization into the membranes and a significant protection against the photohemolysis. We also tested some phenolic compounds contained in Ginseng, and found that they did not prevent the photohemolysis so effectively as kaempferol or trifolin.

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