Evaluation of antioxidant activity of hesperidin and its protective effect on H2O2 induced oxidative damage on pBR322 DNA and RBC cellular membrane.

The present work was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity of hesperidin and to study its protective effect on H(2)O(2) induced oxidative damage on pBR322 DNA and RBC cellular membrane. The in vitro assays were performed with different concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 microg/ml, which were equivalent to 3.27, 6.55, 9.83, 13.10, and 16.38 microM) of hesperidin and the results clearly indicate that hesperidin at 10 microg/ml exhibited radical scavenging activity greater than that of standards like ascorbic acid and trolox. The protective effect of hesperidin on pBR322 DNA and RBC cellular membrane on treatment with different concentrations of H(2)O(2) shows that hesperidin at 2.5 mM converts the open circular form (oc) of pBR322 DNA that is an indication of damage to super coiled (ccc) form and at 10 microg/ml it prevents membrane damage. Thus, our result proves hesperidin to be a valuable antioxidant that protects pBR322 DNA and RBC cellular membrane from free radical induced oxidative damage.