EXTRACTS OF BOLIVIAN PLANTS, COPAIFERA-RETICULATA AND HEISTERIA-PALLIDA INHIBIT IN-VITRO FREE RADICAL-MEDIATED DNA-DAMAGE

The presence of different extracts of antiinflammatory plants Copaifer a reticulata and Heisteria pallida in a reaction medium containing cal f thymus DNA in a free radical generating system protected DNA against oxidative damage in terns of deoxyribose oxidation, The highest antio xidant activity was obtained using the methanol extract ok C. reticula ta (IC50=3 mu g/mL), followed by the aqueous extracts of H, pallida (I C50=257 mu g/ mL) and C, reticulata (IC50=380 mu g/mL), Both dichlorom ethane extracts and the methanol extract of M. pallida showed a decrea sed antioxidant activity se higher concentrations. These results sugge st that these extracts are capable of suppressing the in vitro oxidati ve degradation of DNA. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.