Abstract

MENDOZA MEZA, Dary; SALGADO YEPES, Margareth  and  DURANT IBARRA, Loreys. Antioxidant capacity of whole-body methanolic extracts of the beetle Ulomoides dermestoides (Chevrolat, 1893). Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2013, vol.32, n.4, pp. 402-410. ISSN 0864-0300.

Introduction: Ulomoides dermestoides is a beetle used in traditional Oriental medicine. In Central and South America beetles are eaten alive as a treatment for asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, but few scientific studies validate this therapy. Objective: evaluate the antioxidant capacity of whole-body methanolic extracts of U. dermestoides. Methods: extracts were obtained by discontinuous extraction with 48 % and 96 % MeOH. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the ORAC method and the 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical reduction assay. Results: all extracts showed antioxidant capacity, but the extract obtained with 48 % MeOH and 48 h extraction time (UD4848) exhibited higher activity: ORAC= 3.65±0.5 trolox equivalents, reduction DPPH30min= 81.7 % and IC50 of DPPH30min= 23 µg/mL. The main components in extract UD4848 were saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, n-pentadecanol and 4-ethyl resorcinol. Conclusions: the antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts of U. dermestoides may explain its use in folk medicine.

Keywords : Ulomoides dermestoides; beetles; methanolic extracts; antioxidants.

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