Effects of glucose on cell viability and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of phytochemicals and phytochemically modified membranes.

By virtue of antioxidant and anti-inflammable properties, plant-derived phytochemicals such as mangiferin and genistein have attracted considerable attention for functionalization of polymeric hemodialysis (HD) membranes via solution blending. In-vitro dihydrorhodamine (DHR) assay of the genistein-modified membranes revealed drastic reduction in the level of the reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, mangiferin-modified HD membrane manifested the pro-oxidant activity. We suspected that such difference in ROS generation may be attributed to the glucose unit on the xanthone backbone of mangiferin. This hypothesis was confirmed by comparing the ROS levels of genistein versus genistin, and mangiferin versus xanthone and 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone. Phytochemicals without the glucose unit show better antioxidant property related to the glycosides. Anti-inflammatory property was further conducted by measuring the level of TNF-α in blood after contacting with the same selected phytochemicals. Of particular interest is that the glucose unit promotes the generation of TNF-α.