Phenolic Fractions from Dandelion Leaves and Petals as Modulators of the Antioxidant Status and Lipid Profile in an In Vivo Study

• Main Authors: Michał Majewski, Bernadetta Lis, Jerzy Juśkiewicz, Katarzyna Ognik, Małgorzata Borkowska-Sztachańska, Dariusz Jedrejek, Anna Stochmal, Beata Olas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
• Series: Antioxidants
• Subjects: chicoric acid; dandelion; hydroxycinnamic acids; oxidative stress; <i>taraxacum officinale</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/2/131

Alcoholic leaf and petal fractions of <i>Taraxacum officinale</i> (dandelion) were previously demonstrated to exert in vitro antioxidant and antithrombotic activities in blood plasma and platelets. Eight-week-old male Wistar rats (<i>n</i> = 6) were supplemented for four weeks with dandelion fractions (694 mg/kg of diet = 11.9 &#177; 0.6 mg daily). Dandelion leaf and petal fractions, which delivered daily 4.10 &#177; 0.05 and 1.41 &#177; 0.07 mg <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">l</span>-chicoric acid, respectively, were shown to exert antioxidative actions, measured as decreased levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the spleen (&#8776;0.8-fold, leaves and petals), brain (0.53-fold, leaves) and thoracic arteries (0.59-fold, petals). Moreover, petal fraction increased thiols in the blood plasma (1.58-fold), while leaf fraction decreased protein carbonylation levels (0.59-fold). Additionally, dandelion leaf fractions modified the lipid profile: decreased triglyceride (0.44-fold), total cholesterol (0.73-fold), lipoprotein combine index (0.32-fold) and the atherogenic index of plasma (0.62-fold). Dandelion fractions showed a beneficial decrease effect in the participation of cyclooxygenase products in the noradrenaline-induced vascular contractions of thoracic arteries. Meanwhile, only the dandelion leaf fraction augmented acetylcholine-induced vasodilation and upregulated K_ATP channels. The heart rate and blood pressure were not modified. Dandelion leaf and petal phenolic fractions, enriched with <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">l</span>-chicoric acid, are promising plant materials that may exert in vivo beneficial antioxidant effects.