Abstract

Background: Over-the-counter hepatoprotective nutraceuticals are highly commercialized preparations worldwide. However, their alleged antioxidant capacity and health benefits are still not fully understood.

Objective: This work showcased the first investigation of the redox behavior of hepatoprotective nutraceuticals by spectrophotometric and electrochemical approaches.

Method: The samples were segregated into two groups, namely: A, B, and C based on isolated compounds (IC); and D, E and F based on standardized herbal extracts (SHE).

Results: Results evidenced that IC showcase similar response and distinctions could be attributed to varying concentrations of choline. In SHE, the slopes showcased superimposition due to the presence of Peumus boldus. The electrochemical assays showcased that samples A and C exhibited a single anodic peak at Ep1a ≈ +0.7 V, which could be attributed to the oxidation of methionine; while samples D, E and F, showcased two anodic peaks at Ep1a ≈ +0.35V and Ep2a ≈ +0.7 V, suggesting the oxidation of phenolic and amine moieties respectively. Furthermore, the first two principal components explained 84.8% of all variance in the model, thereby suggesting statistical reproducibility.

Conclusion: This work showcased the first investigation of the redox behavior of hepatoprotective nutraceuticals, thereby shedding light on their antioxidant capacity and physical-chemistry.