<em>Brassica oleracea</em> var. italica extract reducing free radicals and inflammation initiated by an exposure to cigarette smoke

Abstract

Introduction: Herbal extracts are often administered to cigarette smokers to prevent excessive free radicals. These include Brassica oleracea var. Italica, known to contain high antioxidant flavonoids and selenium micronutrients. Therefore, this study aims to determine the efficacy of Brassica oleracea var extract. italica in reducing the free radicals and inflammation present in experimental animals exposed to cigarette smoke. Design and Methods: This research was conducted based on an experimental method using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) for 21 days. The animals used were divided into six groups (negative control, positive control, and four treatments). Particularly, the positive control and treatment groups were exposed to cigarette smoke for 2 minutes, twice a day, at 50 PPM CO levels. The treatment groups were administered the extract at different doses (0.5 ml; 0.75 ml; 1 ml; 1.25 ml), before assessing the blood level of malondialdehyde and C-Reactive Protein. Result: The results showed the tendency for exposure to smoke to increase the number of free radicals and stimulate inflammation responses in the body (P<0,05). In addition, a strong correlation between variables was established (p=0.000; r=0.713). Conclusions: Broccoli extracts (Brassica oleracea L. var. Italica) administration has the potential to cause a decline in the two aspects, including free radicals and inflammation responses resulting from exposure to cigarette smoke.