Effect of the flavonoids from chestnut flower on antioxidant activity and cellular viability of Hela line

Antioxidant activity of the flavonoids from chestnut flower was studied by determining free radicals scavenging abilities including superoxide anion free radicals(O2-·) and hydroxyl free radicals(·OH),and total inducing power using the salicylic acid assay,pyrogallol autoxidation assay and ferric reducing antioxidant assay,respectively. And the influence of flavonoids-purified on the Hela cellular viability was also investigated by MTT assays. The results showed that the scavenging ·OH ability and total reducing power of flavonoids from chestnut flower were obviously stronger than those of the VCcontrol,and the flavonoids-purified sample exhibited the better scavenging ·OH ability and total reducing power compared to the flavonoids-cruded sample. The highest scavenging ability on ·OH and the strongest total reducing power were 0.605 and94.97%,respectively. However,the scavenging ability of before or after flavonoids-purified samples on O2-·was less effective than that of VCcontrol. Furthermore,MTT data suggested that the purified flavonoids sample exhibited the powerful cytotoxic activity on Hela cells which appeared to be concentration dependent,and the highest inhibitory cellular viability was 81% within the experimental concentration. Therefore,the flavonoids from chestnut flower had the stronger antioxidant activity and inhibit the growth of Hela cells,and those findings provided the data to support for the comprehensively utilizating and developing chestnut flower.