Antioxidative Property and Antiatherosclerotic Effects of the Powder Processed From Chaenomeles Speciosa in Apoe-/-Mice

This study was conducted to explore antioxidative property and antiatherosclerotic effects of the powder processed from Chaenomeles speciosa. Chaenomeles speciosa powder (CSP) was rich in vitamin C and polyphenols. The ferric reducing antioxidant power of CSP was 173 ± 7 µmol Fe2+/g and the scavenging activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•) andwere 945 ± 20 µg DPPH•/g and 700 ± 21 U/mL, respectively. We further tested antiatherosclerotic effects of CSP in ApoE–/– mice which was fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Both 5 and 10% CSP dietary supplement significantly reduced serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels (P < 0.05). Comparing with normal group, there was a significant increase of glutathione peroxidase activity and total antioxidative capacity, and a reduction of relative atherosclerotic plaque area of aortic sinus and aortic arch in ApoE–/– mice supplemented with 5 and 10% CSP (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that CSP has potent antioxidative ability and available antiatherosclerotic effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Chaenomeles speciosa has been cultivated widely in Chongqing for hundreds of years and it is also a traditional herb for the Chinese because of its many health preventive potentials. After effects of the processed powder with antioxidation and antiatherosclerotic were testified in our experiments, Chaenomeles speciosa powder can be considered as a beneficial dietary supplement for improving human health, especially in preventing atherogenesis, which does not due to the synergistic effect of antioxidants with more kinds of antioxidants substances, such as vitamin C.