A similar trend was found in peroxidase activity. The catalase activity in the liver slices reduced significantly compared to that of the untreated group. On treatment with the orange flower extract alone, the enzyme activity was increased compared to that of untreated control and no significant changes were found in the yellow and pink flower extract treated groups. All the three flowers of C. pulcherrima significantly BMN 673 cost elevated the catalase activity (P < 0.05) in the presence of the oxidant. A similar trend was observed in a study where pretreatment with chloroform

and ethanolic extract of Vitis vinifera L. stem bark showed significant antidiabetic activity by improving the SOD, catalase and peroxidase levels in diabetes induced group of rats. 22 The concentration of SOD, CAT and GSH was significantly decreased in the liver of in Wistar rats after treatment with doxorubicin which was reversed on co-treatment with Punica granatum Linn. (Punicaceae) extract. 23 The effect of C. pulcherrima flower extracts on GST and GR activities of liver slices exposed to H2O2 is also shown in Table 1. H2O2 significantly reduced the activities of GST and GR compared to untreated control. The liver slices treated with the three flower extracts alone showed a significant increase in GST

and GR activities than the untreated control. The toxic effect of H2O2 was counteracted upon co-treatment with the three flower extracts. A significant reduction in GR activity was observed in the H2O2 treated group compared to the untreated control. Co-treatment of liver slices with GS-1101 chemical structure second C. pulcherrima flower extracts significantly elevated the GR activity compared to that of the H2O2 treated group. A recent study on the management of nephrolithiasis using natural products has reported that the supplementation with ethanolic extract of Saccharum spontaneum restored

the levels of GST, GR, SOD, CAT and GPx in liver and kidney homogenate thereby exhibited antiurolithiatic activity against ethylene glycol induced nephrolithiasis in male Wistar albino rats. 24 The above findings also correlated with another study where n-hexane extract of Podophyllum hexandrum rhizome protected the rat liver tissue against CCl4 induced oxidative stress by significantly increasing the levels of GSH, GPx, GR, SOD and GST in a dose dependant manner. 25 Treatment with the extract of Nyctanthes arbortristis leaves 26 and Curcuma amada 27 (both leaves and rhizome) significantly improved the enzymic antioxidant status of goat liver slices subjected to oxidative stress. In another study, administration of Alternanthera sessilis leaf extract also increased the antioxidant status of rat liver exposed to the oxidant. 28 Apart from enzymic antioxidants, non-enzymic antioxidants are also found in biological systems and are found to play an important role in defence mechanisms against oxidative stress.