Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Uppsalas dricksvattenförsörjning baseras på konstgjord grundvattenbildning som innebär att vatten från Fyrisån får rinna ned till grundvattnet från infiltrationsbassänger. Detta examensarbete syftar till att undersöka vad som händer med naturligt organiskt material (NOM) i Uppsalaåsen vid konstgjord grundvattenbildning. De viktigaste processerna för minskning av NOM är biologisk avskiljning genom nedbrytning, fysikalisk-kemisk avskiljning genom sorption till metalloxider samt utspädning genom inblandning av naturligt grundvatten. Arbetet bestod av tre delar: 1) analys av vattenkemidata från grundvattenprover, 2) analys av extraktion av TOC, Al och Fe från jordprover för att undersöka utfällning av NOM med metalloxider samt 3) ett inkuberingsexperiment för att utvärdera potentialen för biologisk nedbrytning i löst organiskt material (DOC). Jordproverna hämtades från borrkärnor som tagits på fem platser längs åsen under sommaren 2014. Grundvattenprover togs i 19 brunnar minst en gång per månad från november 2014 fram till april 2015. TOC-halten i grundvattnet är som högst vid infiltrationsbassängerna, ca 15 mg/l. TOC- minskar med 30 % de första 200 metrarna i flödesriktningen men minskningen avtar under grundvattentransporten. I den omättade zonen avskiljs mindre än 10 %. Vattnet i Fyrisån har en varierande sammansättning över ett år, vilket också observerades i provtagningspunkter som ligger närmast infiltrationsanläggningarna. Analys av uran och stabila isotoper visar att dispersion i åsen utjämnar dessa variationer. Analys av UV-absorbans och fluorescens tyder på att det organiska materialet i grundvattnet byter karaktär i den mättade zonen och blir hydrofilt. Resultaten från extraktionerna i jordprover visar på god korrelation mellan Fe och TOC. Bidning till järnoxider antas därför vara den viktigaste avskiljningsmekanismen i åsen. Resultaten indikerar på anrikningar av humuskomplex i de ytligaste jordlagren under sandfiltren samt precis under grundvattenytan i närheten av bassängerna. Inkuberingsexperimentet utfördes genom att grundvatten från fem olika provpunkter sterilfiltrerades. 15 vattenprover tillsattes med inockulat innehållande mikroorganismer och övriga 15 sterila prover användes som referenser. TOC undersöktes varannan vecka på samtliga vattenprover under 1,5 månader. Efter två veckor minskade halten TOC i samtliga prover och referenser med cirka 25 % och var därefter relativt konstant. Sammanfattningsvis sker en snabb minskning av NOM i grundvattnet nära infiltrationsbassängerna. Det antas bero på adsorption till metalloxider och fasta partiklar och biologisk nedbrytning. Minskningstakten av NOM avtar med transportsträckan. Längre bort antas inblandning av naturligt grundvatten vara den viktigaste orsaken till att halten NOM minskar. / The drinking water supply in Uppsala is based on this technique which involves surface water from Fyrisån percolating to the ground water through an infiltration basin. This master thesis aims to evaluate the fate of natural organic matter (NOM) in the Uppsala esker during artificial groundwater recharge. The most important processes for the removal of NOM are biological degradation, physical-chemical sorption to metal complexes and dilution by mixing with natural ground water. The work consisted of three parts: 1) analysis of water chemistry data from groundwater samples, 2) analysis of extractions of TOC, Al and Fe from soil samples to evaluate deposition of NOM with metal oxides, and 3) an incubation test to evaluate the potential for biological degradation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Soil samples were collected from drill cores taken from five locations along the Uppsala esker in the summer of 2014. Ground water was sampled in 19 wells at least once every month from November 2014 to April 2015. The levels of TOC in ground water are highest at the infiltration basins, about 15 mg/l. The TOC levels drop by 30 % the first 200 meters in the flow direction, but the removal rate decreases during the ground water transport. Less than 10 % is removed in the unsaturated zone. The water in Fyrisån has a variation in composition during a year, which is also observered in sampling points close to the infiltration basins. Analysis of uranium and stable isotopes shows that dispersion in the esker evens these variations. The analysis of absorbance and fluorescence shows that the NOM changes character in the saturated zone and becomes less humificated and becomes hydrophilic. The results from the extractions in the soil samples show a good correlation between Fe and TOC. Complexes of NOM and iron oxides are thought to be the most important complex in the Uppsala esker. The extractions also indicate that enrichments of humus complexes in the uppermost soil of the infiltration basins and right below the ground water table in several locations near the basins. The incubation test was done by sterilization filtering of ground water from five different locations. Inoculate with microorganisms was added to 15 of these samples, while 15 without inoculate was used as reference samples. Analysis of TOC was done every two weeks during 1,5 months. The levels of TOC decreased by 25 % after two weeks in all samples and reference samples, and were stable afterwards. In summary, a quick decrease of NOM occurs in the groundwater close to the infiltration basins. This is mainly caused by sorption and biological degradation. The removal rate of NOM decreases with distance. Further away from the basins, the most important process for decrease of NOM is mixing with local ground water.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Biomedical Technology in the Faculty Health and Wellness Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / The accurate and consistent measurement of antioxidants is crucial to evaluating their biological role in the prevention and delay of cancer and other pathological conditions. Hence, the performance of the analytical method utilized should be evaluated for acceptable levels of accuracy, precision and other performance parameters according to internationally accepted standards. Additionally, the measure and influence of existing errors should be evaluated and the method optimized to reduce such errors. In furtherance of this vital aim, this research project sought out to optimize and validate two bio-analytical assays for the measurement of total antioxidant capacity and L-ascorbic acid (L-AA), respectively in food commodities. The validation procedure was performed in accordance with ISO 17025 international standard. The first study in this thesis evaluated, optimized and validated the hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORACFL) assay using fluorescein for total antioxidant capacity in various food and beverage products. The assay demonstrated good results with regard to accuracy, precision, linearity, specificity, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) and robustness. The extraction solvent (60% ethanol) recovered excellent antioxidant yields for most samples tested. The optimization of the method in terms of temperature and sample usage on the micro-plate significantly (p<0.05) reduced errors and subsequently improved precision substantially.

Orientador: Flavia Maria Netto / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T21:19:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_FernandaGuimaraesDrummonde_M.pdf: 1363127 bytes, checksum: 68b1a97c95798f4425019ee900814160 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Existem evidências numerosas sobre o papel dos radicais livres em uma série de condições patológicas, incluindo envelhecimento, câncer, esclerose múltipla, doenças cardiovasculares. Hidrolisados protéicos de diferentes fontes têm sido estudados por seu potencial antioxidante. A atuação antioxidante da proteína, na maioria das vezes, encontra-se limitada devido à conformação espacial, que concentra resíduos capazes de neutralizar radicais livres no interior da molécula, dificultando o acesso das espécies reativas aos centros nucleofílicos. A hidrólise da proteína contribui para aumentar a exposição desses resíduos de aminoácidos, aumentando sua atuação como antioxidante. Compostos fenólicos podem estar presentes em hidrolisados proteicos de origem vegetal, devido a sua associação com as proteínas. Métodos in vitro que simulam as condições do trato gastrointestinal permitem estudar como a digestão pode interferir na atividade antioxidante de peptídeos e compostos fenólicos. O presente trabalho tem como objetivos obter hidrolisados proteicos com capacidade antioxidante a partir da farinha de linhaça e avaliar o efeito da digestão in vitro pode interferir nessa atividade. A farinha de linhaça marrom foi desengordurada, obtendo-se a farinha de linhaça marrom desengordurada (FLMD). O concentrado proteico de linhaça (CPL) foi obtido a partir da FLMD por extração alcalina e precipitação no ponto isoelétrico seguida de neutralização. Para obtenção dos hidrolisados proteicos (HPL), a partir do CPL, com Alcalase, foi realizado um delineamento composto central rotacional (DCCR) 2². As variáveis independentes foram pH que variou entre 7,5 a 9,5 e relação enzima: substrato (E:S) que variou de 1:150 a 1:30. As variáveis dependentes foram grau de hidrólise (GH), teor de substâncias redutoras do reagente de Folin-Ciocalteau e atividade antioxidante, determinada por FRAP e ORAC. Teor de substâncias redutoras e atividade antioxidante foram avaliados a partir dos extratos aquosos e metanólico (metanol 70%). Os hidrolisados de maior atividade antioxidante, a FLMD e o CPL foram submetidos à digestão in vitro, simulando as condições da digestão gastrintestinal. As amostras antes e após a digestão in vitro foram caracterizadas por eletroforese em sistema SDS-PAGE Tricina e por cromatografia liquida de alta eficiência de fase reversa (HPLC- RP). O teor de substâncias redutoras e da atividade antioxidante das amostras FLMD, CPL e HPL foram avaliados antes e após a digestão in vitro. As condições ótimas para obtenção de HPL de maior GH (21,0%) são pH entre 7,5 e 8,0 e E:S entre 1:60 e 1:30, indicando que a faixa de pH ótimo da enzima e a alta E:S favorecem maior hidrólise do CPL. Para obtenção de HPL com maior teor de substâncias redutoras para os extratos aquoso (24 mg EAG/ g HPL) e metanólico (20 mg EAG/ g HPL) as condições ótimas são pH ~ 8,5 /E:S 1:30. Este resultado parece estar relacionado à liberação de compostos fenólicos ligados a proteína e também de peptídeos durante a hidrólise. Açúcares e aminoácidos aromáticos presentes no hidrolisado podem interferir na reação e superestimar o teor de fenóis dos HPL. A maior atividade antioxidante determinada pelo método de FRAP para o extrato aquoso (42 mg SF/ g HPL) se dá nas condições de pH ~ 9,5/E:S ~1:150 e para o extrato metanólico (40 mg SF/ g HPL) pH entre 8,5 e 9,0/E:S entre 1:90 a 1:150. Para o método de ORAC, as condições ótimas para maior atividade antioxidante no extrato aquoso (300 µmol TE/ g HPL) são pH entre 7,5 a 9,5/E:S ~ 1:30 ou ~1:150 e para o extrato metanólico (330 µmol TE/ g HPL) são pH ~ 8,5/E:S entre 1:150 e 1:30. Os hidrolisados de maior atividade antioxidante foram os obtidos em pH 8,5/E:S 1:90, e em pH 9,2/E:S 1:133 denominados HPL 0 e HPL 3, respectivamente. Para a FLMD, CPL e os hidrolisados, após a digestão in vitro, observou-se que o teor de substâncias redutoras totais aumentou (9 a 20 vezes) para todas as amostras. O teor de substâncias redutoras do CPL (~24 mg EAG/ g amostra), em ambos os extratos, após a digestão in vitro se igualou ao teor dos hidrolisados (~23 mg EAG/ g amostra). Este resultado sugere que tanto a hidrólise com Alcalase quanto o processo digestório liberam compostos redutores, dentre eles fenólicos da proteína de linhaça. A atividade antioxidante dos extratos de FLMD e CPL, determinada por FRAP, também aumentou (de 3 a 10 vezes) após a digestão, mas não se igualou à atividade antioxidante dos hidrolisados (48 mg SF/g amostra). No entanto, o CPL apresentou atividade antioxidante determinada por ORAC semelhante à dos hidrolisados no extrato aquoso (~420,24 µmol TE/ g amostra) e 10 % maior que o encontrado para os hidrolisados (~365 µmol TE/ g amostra) no extrato metanólico. Após a digestão in vitro, os hidrolisados apresentaram a maior atividade antioxidante medida por FRAP (50 mg SF/ g amostra), e o CPL, a maior atividade determinada pelo método de ORAC (~430 µmol TE/ g amostra). Estes resultados sugerem o processo digestório é tão ou mais eficiente que a Alcalase em liberar os compostos com atividade redutora no CPL. Uma vez que a metodologia de determinação da atividade antioxidante por ORAC tem maior proximidade com o mecanismo de oxirredução que ocorre in vivo, esses resultados sugerem o uso do CPL como melhor produto protéico da linhaça com maior potencial antioxidante para a formulação de nutracêuticos e alimentos funcionais / Abstract: There are several evidences which indicate the role of free radicals on a series of pathological conditions, including aging, cancer, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Hydrolysates from different sources have been studied because of their antioxidant potential. The antioxidant activity of the protein, in most cases, is limited due to their conformation, which concentrates residues capable of neutralize free radicals in the molecule¿s core, hampering the access of the reactive species to nucleophilic sites. The protein hydrolysis contributes to increasing the exposure of these amino acid residues, increasing their role as antioxidants. Phenolic compounds may also be present in vegetable protein hydrolysates because of their association with proteins. In vitro methods that simulate the conditions of the gastrointestinal digestion are an important way to evaluate how the digestion affects the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds and peptides. This study aims at obtaining hydrolysates with antioxidant capacity from defatted flaxseed flour and evaluate the effect of the in vitro digestion on this activity. The brown flaxseed flour was defatted, resulting in the brown defatted flaxseed meal (BDFM). The flaxseed protein concentrate (FPC) was obtained from the BDFM by alkaline extraction and precipitation at the isoelectric point followed by neutralization. To obtain the flaxseed protein hydrolysates (FPL), using FPC and Alcalase, a central composite rotational design (DCCR) was performed. The independent variables were pH ranging from 7.5 to 9.5 and enzyme: substrate ratio (E: S) that ranged from 1:150 to 1:30. The dependent variables were the degree of hydrolysis (DH), total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, determined by FRAP and ORAC. Phenolic and antioxidant activity were evaluated from the aqueous and methanol (70% methanol). The hydrolysates with the highest antioxidant activity, the CPL FLMD were submitted to the in vitro digestion. The samples obtained before and after the in vitro digestion were characterized by electrophoresis SDS-PAGE- tricine and HPLC. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of FLMD, CPL and HPL were evaluated before and after in vitro digestion. The optimum conditions to obtain HPL with the highest GDH (21.0%) are pH (7.5-8) and E:S ratio (1:60-1:30), which indicates that the Alcalase optimum pH and highest E:S ratio collaborates to highest hydrolysis of CPL. To obtain HPL with higher content of Folin-Ciocalteau reducing compounds content in aqueous (EAG 24 mg / g HPL) and methanol (20 mg EAG / g HPL) extracts, the optimum conditions were pH ~ 8.5 / E: S 1:30. This result seems to be related to the release of phenolic compounds bound to protein and also of peptides during hydrolysis. The highest antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP method in the aqueous extract (42 mg SF / g HPL) occurs under pH ~ 9.5 / E: S ~ 1:150 and the methanol extract (40 mg SF / g HPL) pH 8.5-9.0 / E: S 1:90-1:150. For the ORAC method, optimum conditions for increased antioxidant activity in aqueous extract (300 µmol TE / g HPL) are pH 7.5-9.5 / E: S ~ 1:30 or 1:150 and the methanol extract (330 µmol TE / g HPL) are pH ~ 8.5 / E: S 1:30-1:150. The hydrolysates with the highest antioxidant activities were obtained at pH 8.5 / E: S 1:90, and at pH 9.2 / E: S 1:133 denominated HPL ) and HPL 3, respectively. For FLMD, CPL and hydrolysates, after in vitro digestion, the content increased (9-20 times) for all samples. The Folin-Ciocalteau reducing capacity of the CPL (EAG ~ 24 mg / g sample) in both extracts after in vitro digestion equaled the content of hydrolysates (EAG ~ 23 mg / g sample). This result suggests that both hydrolysis with Alcalase and the digestion process are able to release phenolic compounds from the flaxseed products. The antioxidant activity of extracts of FLMD, CPL determined by FRAP, also increased (from 3 to 10 times) after digestion, but did not reached the antioxidant activity of hydrolysates (48 mg SF / g sample). However, when the activity was determined by ORAC, the FPC showed value similar to the hydrolysates, measured on the aqueous extract (~ 420.24 µmol TE / g sample) and 10% higher than on the methanol extract (~ 365 µmol TE / g sample). After in vitro digestion, hydrolysates showed the highest antioxidant activity measured by FRAP (SF 50 mg / g sample), and the FPC, the highest activity determined by ORAC method (~ 430 micromol TE / g sample). These results suggest that digestive process are equally or more effective than Alcalase in releasing peptides and phenolic compounds present in the FPC. Since the methodology for determining the antioxidant activity by ORAC utilizes a biologically relevant radical source, these results suggest the use of FPC as the best protein product of flaxseed with potential antioxidant in the formulation of nutraceuticals and functional foods / Mestrado / Nutrição Experimental e Aplicada à Tecnologia de Alimentos / Mestre em Alimentos e Nutrição

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

No description available.

During recent decades metallic nanoparticles have been found very interesting due to their unique characteristics which make them suitable for different applications. In this research, for the very first time, we tried to perform selective surface photo activation chemistry on the targeted facets of nanoparticles while they are in suspension. This technique enabled us to form desired assemblies of nanoparticles. We focused on elongated shaped gold nanorod due to its unique surface plasmon resonance and probable biomedical applications. In this research we formed a dumbbell shape assembly of nanoparticles in suspension. A probable application for these assemblies can be in vivo imaging. Initially, we reproduced gold nanorods using existing techniques in prior papers and optimized them according to our research needs. A low rpm centrifugal separation technique was developed to efficiently separate synthesized gold nanorods from other shapes. Several characterization techniques were utilized to characterize nanoparticles at each step including UV-absorbance, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. Different generations of oligomers were synthesized to be used as gold nanorods coating, and each coating was tested and characterized using appropriate techniques. Our two-step coating replacement method using one of these photocleavable oligomers enabled us to achieve, for the very first time, selective UV photo activation of gold nanorod tips. The photo activated tips were then exposed to oppositely charged gold nanospheres to form dumbbell shape assemblies of gold nanorods and nanospheres. Furthermore, dumbbell shape assembly of nanoparticles was investigated and characterized. / Master of Science

The evolution of aerobic metabolic processes unavoidably led to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS have the ability to cause harmful oxidative damage to biomolecules. Increased ROS generation and subsequent oxidative stress have been associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases as a result of the extreme sensitivity of the central nervous system to damage from ROS. Antioxidant defence systems have co–evolved with aerobic metabolic processes to counteract oxidative damage inflicted by ROS. The impact of neurodegenerative disorders on society is increasing rapidly as the life expectancy of the global population increases. In this day and age, a much younger group of the population is also experiencing neurodegenerative symptoms as a result of the harmful effect of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the central nervous system. Plants are an invaluable source of medicinal compounds. The use of plants for their healing properties is rooted in ancient times. The aim of this study was to select from twenty one plants, the plant with the most promising antioxidant activity and to determine whether extracts of this plant could act as free radical scavengers, comparing the results to Trolox, a known free radical scavenger. The next step was to isolate and characterize a compound from an extract exhibiting promising antioxidant activity. Bioassay–guided fractionation was followed to achieve this. During screening trials, twenty one plants, namely Berula erecta, Heteromorpha arborescens, Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Vernonia oligocephala, Gymnosporia buxifolia, Acacia karroo, Elephantorrhiza elephantina, Erythrina zeyheri, Leonotis leonurus, Plectranthus ecklonii, P. rehmanii, P. venteri, Salvia auretia, S. runcinata, Solenostemon latifolius, S. rotundifolius, Plumbago auriculata, Clematis brachiata, Vangueria infausta, Physalis peruviana and Lippia javanica were selected from literature, based on reported antioxidant activity within the plant families, for screening of their antioxidant activity. One hundred and ten extracts were prepared from the leaves, using Soxhlet extraction and the solvents petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and ethanol (EtOH), consecutively. The focus during initial screening trials was on chemistry–based assays. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were employed for the primary screening of the one hundred and ten leaf extracts. The ORAC assay was used to determine whether the plant extracts were able to scavenge peroxyl radicals and the FRAP assay was used to determine the reducing abilities of the extracts. Quantification of the peroxyl radical scavenging activity by the ORAC assay revealed that activity was observed for most of the extracts, with the ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of L. javanica exhibiting the most promising activity. This pattern of activity was also found with the reducing capacity evaluated by the FRAP assay in which the EtOAc and EtOH extracts of L. javanica also exhibited the most promising activity. L. javanica was selected for further study by screening for biological activity, employing the nitro–blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. Using a cyanide model to induce neurotoxic effects in rat brain homogenate, the neuroprotective properties of the extracts of L. javanica leaves were examined using the NBT assay and compared to that of Trolox. The NBT assay determines the level of superoxide anions. All the extracts of L. javanica significantly reduced superoxide anion generation at all concentrations used. The petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts, at all concentrations, reduced superoxide anion generation to values lower than that of the control, suggesting that these extracts may be able to attenuate normal free radical processes in the brain. The petroleum ether extract exhibited the most promising activity at a concentration of 1.25 and 2.5 mg/ml and also exhibited similar results as the ethyl acetate extract at a lower concentration than the ethyl acetate extract (2.5 mg/ml compared to 5 mg/ml). A toxin–solution consisting of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), iron(III)chloride (FeCl3) and ascorbic acid was used to induce lipid peroxidation and the ability of the extracts of the leaves of L. javanica to attenuate lipid peroxidation was investigated in rat brain homogenate and compared to that of Trolox. All of the extracts of L. javanica significantly attenuated toxininduced lipid peroxidation at all concentrations used. All of the extracts were also able to significantly attenuate toxin–induced lipid peroxidation to values lower than that of the control. These results suggest that all of the extracts of L. javanica possess the ability to attenuate not only toxin–induced lipid peroxidation, but also lipid peroxidation that occurs during normal processes in the brain. The petroleum ether extract was subjected to bioassay–guided fractionation using column and thin–layer chromatography and the NBT and TBARS assays. Fraction DD1 was investigated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared and mass spectrometry. The exact structure of fraction DD1 was not elucidated. Considering all the results, it is clear that L. javanica shows great potential as a medicinal plant with antioxidant activity and may therefore be beneficial in diminishing the destructive oxidative effects inflicted by free radicals. There are however still many compounds to be isolated from L. javanica. Key words: Verbenaceae, Lippia javanica, antioxidant, neurodegeneration, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), nitro–blue tetrazolium assay (NBT), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay (TBARS). / Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The evolution of aerobic metabolic processes unavoidably led to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS have the ability to cause harmful oxidative damage to biomolecules. Increased ROS generation and subsequent oxidative stress have been associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases as a result of the extreme sensitivity of the central nervous system to damage from ROS. Antioxidant defence systems have co–evolved with aerobic metabolic processes to counteract oxidative damage inflicted by ROS. The impact of neurodegenerative disorders on society is increasing rapidly as the life expectancy of the global population increases. In this day and age, a much younger group of the population is also experiencing neurodegenerative symptoms as a result of the harmful effect of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the central nervous system. Plants are an invaluable source of medicinal compounds. The use of plants for their healing properties is rooted in ancient times. The aim of this study was to select from twenty one plants, the plant with the most promising antioxidant activity and to determine whether extracts of this plant could act as free radical scavengers, comparing the results to Trolox, a known free radical scavenger. The next step was to isolate and characterize a compound from an extract exhibiting promising antioxidant activity. Bioassay–guided fractionation was followed to achieve this. During screening trials, twenty one plants, namely Berula erecta, Heteromorpha arborescens, Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Vernonia oligocephala, Gymnosporia buxifolia, Acacia karroo, Elephantorrhiza elephantina, Erythrina zeyheri, Leonotis leonurus, Plectranthus ecklonii, P. rehmanii, P. venteri, Salvia auretia, S. runcinata, Solenostemon latifolius, S. rotundifolius, Plumbago auriculata, Clematis brachiata, Vangueria infausta, Physalis peruviana and Lippia javanica were selected from literature, based on reported antioxidant activity within the plant families, for screening of their antioxidant activity. One hundred and ten extracts were prepared from the leaves, using Soxhlet extraction and the solvents petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and ethanol (EtOH), consecutively. The focus during initial screening trials was on chemistry–based assays. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were employed for the primary screening of the one hundred and ten leaf extracts. The ORAC assay was used to determine whether the plant extracts were able to scavenge peroxyl radicals and the FRAP assay was used to determine the reducing abilities of the extracts. Quantification of the peroxyl radical scavenging activity by the ORAC assay revealed that activity was observed for most of the extracts, with the ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of L. javanica exhibiting the most promising activity. This pattern of activity was also found with the reducing capacity evaluated by the FRAP assay in which the EtOAc and EtOH extracts of L. javanica also exhibited the most promising activity. L. javanica was selected for further study by screening for biological activity, employing the nitro–blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. Using a cyanide model to induce neurotoxic effects in rat brain homogenate, the neuroprotective properties of the extracts of L. javanica leaves were examined using the NBT assay and compared to that of Trolox. The NBT assay determines the level of superoxide anions. All the extracts of L. javanica significantly reduced superoxide anion generation at all concentrations used. The petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts, at all concentrations, reduced superoxide anion generation to values lower than that of the control, suggesting that these extracts may be able to attenuate normal free radical processes in the brain. The petroleum ether extract exhibited the most promising activity at a concentration of 1.25 and 2.5 mg/ml and also exhibited similar results as the ethyl acetate extract at a lower concentration than the ethyl acetate extract (2.5 mg/ml compared to 5 mg/ml). A toxin–solution consisting of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), iron(III)chloride (FeCl3) and ascorbic acid was used to induce lipid peroxidation and the ability of the extracts of the leaves of L. javanica to attenuate lipid peroxidation was investigated in rat brain homogenate and compared to that of Trolox. All of the extracts of L. javanica significantly attenuated toxininduced lipid peroxidation at all concentrations used. All of the extracts were also able to significantly attenuate toxin–induced lipid peroxidation to values lower than that of the control. These results suggest that all of the extracts of L. javanica possess the ability to attenuate not only toxin–induced lipid peroxidation, but also lipid peroxidation that occurs during normal processes in the brain. The petroleum ether extract was subjected to bioassay–guided fractionation using column and thin–layer chromatography and the NBT and TBARS assays. Fraction DD1 was investigated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared and mass spectrometry. The exact structure of fraction DD1 was not elucidated. Considering all the results, it is clear that L. javanica shows great potential as a medicinal plant with antioxidant activity and may therefore be beneficial in diminishing the destructive oxidative effects inflicted by free radicals. There are however still many compounds to be isolated from L. javanica. Key words: Verbenaceae, Lippia javanica, antioxidant, neurodegeneration, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), nitro–blue tetrazolium assay (NBT), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay (TBARS). / Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.