ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT FROM Asparagus officinalis

Asparagus extracts have previously been used for their medicinal properties. The objective of this work was to evaluate the biological activity of Asparagus officinalis cultivated in the region of Caborca, Sonora, based on its antioxidant and antiproliferative activity. The vegetable was separated in the edible (EPC) and inedible part (EPNC). The antioxidant capacity was evaluated in the EPC before and after thermal treatment, while the antiproliferative activity was assessed in the EPC and EPNC parts. The antioxidant activity (DPPH method) showed that at a same concentration (800 mu g/mL) there is no difference between cook and uncooked asparagus (65.26 +/- 0.16 and 66.92 +/- 3.29 %, respectively). The cooking water showed antioxidant activity, however it was less than the cooked asparagus (54.95 +/- 2.05 %). The antiproliferative activity of the asparagus on HeLa and A-549 cancer cell lines was evaluated using the tetrazolium salt assay. The EPC extract showed a higher antiproliferative activity when compared with the EPNC extract, with an IC50 of 2563.4 +/- 4.5 and 2853.6 +/- 22.8 mu g/mL, respectively. Our results show that the antioxidant capacity is not affected by thermal treatments. Nonetheless, asparagus cultivated in this region does not presented high antiproliferative activity.