Bioactive phytochemicals, such as phenols, could depict one cardioprotective factor in the diet of the Maasai. Therefore, 41 samples from of plants commonly ingested by the Maasai, were investigated for the presence of phenols and antioxidant activity. Phenols were detected in all 41 crude extracts. All extracts were screened for antioxidant activity using 2 radicals (1,1 diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical; peroxyl radical). Extracts that displayed activity equal to or significantly greater than the antioxidant standards (ascorbic acid; Trolox) in both screening tests include (p < 0.05): Acacia nilotica and Acacia drepanolobium. These results were significantly correlated to total phenols (r = -0.51 and 0.79; p < 0.01). Eleven extracts were assessed for their ability to protect LDL from in-vitro oxidation and these extracts showed this ability equal to or significantly greater than the antioxidant standards (p < 0.05). Dose response was demonstrated in this assay using 3 concentrations of the crude extract of A. drepanolobium and an ethyl acetate fraction of this extract exhibited significantly stronger activity than the other fractions (water, chloroform) (p < 0.05). All extracts were of a mixed chemical nature and yet some displayed antioxidant activity equal to or greater than the pure antioxidants standards. The correlations established suggest that the antioxidant activity is phenolic in make-up.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.20833 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Lindhorst, Kathleen. |
| Contributors | Johns, Tim (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001610157, proquestno: MQ44206, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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