Antioxidant properties of Lunularia cruciata (Bryophyta) extract.

The effects of Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dum (Bryophyta) acetonic extract was studied in vitro by means of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) emission from human peripheral whole blood phagocytes and isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). L. cruciata adult thalli underwent extraction with acetone. CL emission was evaluated in an automated luminometer, measuring the oxygen free-radical production by phagocytes incubated with opsonized zymosan (OZ) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), in absence or in presence of various concentrations of L. cruciata extract. The CL results indicated that L. cruciata induced significant changes in light emission from whole blood phagocytes, as well as isolated PMNs. Its inhibitory activity was more evident when resting isolated PMNs were studied. When the cells were activated, the greatest inhibitory effect was observed with PMA. The L. cruciata activity could be caused by several compounds, such as flavonoids and/or sesquiterpenes, present in the acetonic extract.