Ilex paraguariensis crude extract acts on protection and reversion from damage induced by t-butyl hydroperoxide in human erythrocytes: a comparative study with isolated caffeic and/or chlorogenic acids.

BACKGROUND Studies comparing the effect of phytochemicals under different regimens of exposure are necessary to give a better indication about their mechanism(s) of protection. Hence, we propose to investigate here the preventive (pre-incubation), protective (co-incubation) and/or remediate (post-incubation) activity of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acids, in comparison to Ilex paraguariensis crude extract, against t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced damage to human erythrocytes. RESULTS We found that both caffeic and chlorogenic acids were able to prevent and also to revert from the hemolysis associated to t-BHP exposure. In contrast, isolated compounds (alone or in combination) presented no effect on basal and/or t-BHP-induced NPSH oxidation or thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) production. In turn, I. paraguariensis extract was effective to prevent, protect and also to revert from the hemolysis associated to t-BHP exposure. Moreover, I. paraguariensis significantly protects and reverts from t-BHP induced NPSH oxidation and TBARS production. CONCLUSIONS We have found that I. paraguariensis extract acts better in protection and reversion of t-BHP-associated changes, whereas isolated compounds were more active in prevention and reversion from t-BHP pro-hemolytic action. Moreover, our data suggest that the pro-hemolytic activity of t-BHP may occur via mechanism(s) other(s) than lipid peroxidation and/or NPSH oxidation.