Star Anise's Shield: How Illicium verum Protects DNA From Oxidative Damage: An Integrated Experimental and Computational Study

Illicium verum, a star anise evergreen tree, is of great ethnopharmacological, medicinal, and biological interest. Objective: To develop an aqueous extract from its fruits and to evaluate its antioxidant potential, particularly in terms of DNA protection. The extraction method was straightforward; total phenolics (123 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (51.3 mg QE/g) were quantified, and antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging and iron (III) reducing) properties determined. The total antioxidant capacity (TAE) of the extract was estimated, and its protectiveness on human genomic DNA was examined. In addition, an in silico computer docking simulation was conducted to describe the molecular interactions of the extract's phenolic compounds with DNA. The extract showed a marked antioxidant profile (TAE; 25.63 ± 2.83 mg vitamin C equivalent and potent DPPH IC50 equal to 1.63 mg/mL). Its FRAE activity was low compared with vitamin C; interestingly, despite having lower free radical scavenging activity than vitamin C, the extract was effective in DNA protection, with 96% prevention against damage. This is further supported by the in silico study, which demonstrated strong binding forms with binding energy scores between –8.87 and –4.71(kcal/mol) with hydrogen bonds. The Illicium verum aqueous extract was rich in phenols, with robust antioxidant activity, and had a significant protective effect against human genomic DNA damage, as evidenced by in vitro and in silico analysis.