Hydrogen Boosts Plant Extract Power Against Heart Cell Damage
- Authors
- Yilin Gao, Oumeng Song, Min Wang, Xin Guo, Guanfei Zhang, Xuyun Liu, Jiankang Liu, Lin Zhao
- Journal
- Antioxidants
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3390/antiox12051019
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Endothelial Dysfunction
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
A new method using hydrogen gas during ultrasonic extraction of chrysanthemum plant materials increases the antioxidant properties and protects blood vessel cells from damage caused by fats.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-protected extraction of chrysanthemum preserved more antioxidant compounds and provided superior protection against fat-induced damage to blood vessel cells in laboratory tests compared to standard extraction methods.
Summary
Researchers tested a new method for extracting beneficial compounds from chrysanthemum flowers using hydrogen gas during the extraction process. They compared this hydrogen-protected method to standard extraction methods and found it preserved more antioxidants (disease-fighting compounds) in the extract. In laboratory tests using human blood vessel cells, the hydrogen-protected extract was better at preventing damage caused by palmitate, a type of fat, by reducing harmful molecules and restoring normal cell function.
Practical Takeaway
This is early laboratory research on chrysanthemum extract, not on hydrogen water itself. The study shows promise for how extraction methods might preserve plant compounds, but it was conducted only in cell cultures, not in animals or humans. Much more research would be needed before drawing any conclusions about health benefits for people.
Abstract
As the most important natural antioxidants in plant extracts, polyphenols demonstrate versatile bioactivities and are susceptible to oxidation. The commonly used ultrasonic extraction often causes oxidation reactions involving the formation of free radicals. To minimize the oxidation effects during the ultrasonic extraction process, we designed a hydrogen (H2)-protected ultrasonic extraction method and used it in Chrysanthemum morifolium extraction. Hydrogen-protected extraction improved the total antioxidant capacity, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and polyphenol content of Chrysanthemum morifolium water extract (CME) compared with air and nitrogen (N2) conditions. We further investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of CME on palmitate (PA)-induced endothelial dysfunction in human aorta endothelial cells (HAECs). We found that hydrogen-protected CME (H2-CME) best-prevented impairment in nitric oxide (NO) production, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein level, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, H2-CME prevented PA-induced endothelial dysfunction by restoring mitofusin-2 (MFN2) levels and maintaining redox balance.