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Fractions of Synurus deltoides (Aiton) Nakai leaves showed excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in a series of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays including total phenolic and flavonoid contents determination assay, DPPH free radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay, superoxide radical scavenging assay, nitrite scavenging assay, total antioxidant assay, DNA damage protection assay, MTT assay, nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition assay, and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited stronger antioxidant effects than other fractions in most of antioxidant assays such as DPPH assay, reducing power assay, superoxide radical scavenging assay, and nitrite scavenging assay. However, the dichloromethane fraction showed the strongest total antioxidant activity and NO production inhibitory activity. It was demonstrated that S. deltoides was valuable to be researched farther and application and fractions of S. deltoides had great potential to be a source of edible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Antioxidant and nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory activities of various extracts from scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale L.) were investigated. Antioxidant assays including DPPH free radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay, metal-chelating assay, superoxide radical scavenging assay, and nitrite scavenging ability, and assays to determine total phenolic and flavonoid contents were performed. The inhibition of NO production was measured in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was used to analyse the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Overall, all extracts showed high phenolic content and strong DPPH radical scavenging ability. Methanol extract exhibited stronger metal-chelating activity and NO production inhibitory activity compared with other extracts. The expression of iNOS and COX-2 was obviously augmented in response to LPS. Taken together, scouring rush could be used as a suitable natural antioxidant and a source of anti-inflammatory agent.