Biflavonoids from Brazilian pine Araucaria angustifolia as potentials protective agents against DNA damage and lipoperoxidation.

A biflavonoid fraction (BFF) obtained from Araucaria angustifolia needles was effective to quench singlet oxygen (1O2), to protect plasmid DNA against single strand break (ssb) caused by 1O2 or Fenton reaction and to inhibit Fenton or UV radiation-induced lipoperoxidation in phosphatidylcholine liposomes. The activity of the biflavonoid fraction (BFF) was compared with quercetin, rutin (flavonoids), ginkgetin, amentoflavone (biflavonoids), alpha-tocopherol and Trolox. The BFF displayed a higher quenching rate constant compared to flavonoids and biflavonoids and protected against ssb induced by 1O2. Although the BFF was not as efficient as either flavonoids, alpha-tocopherol or Trolox in protection against ssb induced by Fenton-reaction or lipoperoxidation, these scavenging properties suggest that BFF is still an excellent candidate for successful employment as an antioxidant and photoprotector.