In Vitro Assay on Antioxidant Activity and Cytotoxicity of Methanol Extracts from Young Sprouts of Several Korean Salad Plants

Antioxidant activity, total phenolics level and cytotoxicity of the methanol extracts from the young sprouts of 5 Korean woody salad plants were determined. Methanol extracts of Kalopanax pictus had the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity, with an $IC_{50}$ value of 23.5mg $100g^{-1}$, and followed by Valeriana fauriei(43.1mg $100g^{-1}$), and Morus alba(>100mg $100g^{-1}$). Total phenolic content showed the highest amount in methanol extracts from Kalopanax pictus(23.7mg $100g^{-1}$), and followed by Valeriana fauriei(22.7mg $100g^{-1}$), Aralia elata(16.8mg $100g^{-1}$) and Morus alba(14.2mg $100g^{-1}$). In a MTT assay, methanol extracts of Aralia elata with $IC_{50}$ values of 151.0 and $140.7{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ showed the most potent cytotoxicity on Calu-6 and MCF-7, respectively. On the other hand, methanol extracts of Kalopanax pictus($IC_{50}=96.5{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) showed the highest activity against HCT-116, and followed by those of Aralia elata($123.3{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$), and Actinidia arguta($162.0{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$). Total phenolic content of the tested plant extracts was correlated with the DPPH radical scavenging activity, suggesting the phenolic compounds may contribute to the antioxidant properties of Korean salad plants.