Chrysin and rutin protect against hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide induced oxidative cell damage

Objective: Chrysin and rutin are two dietary flavonoids lying in fruits or honey bee’s products. Their pharmacological properties include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotection and immunomodulatory. In the current study, the potentiality of chrysin and rutin to protect human gingival fibroblasts against oxidative cell damage has been investigated in vitro. Method: Human gingival fibroblasts, passage 3, were concomitantly put in contact with the cytotoxic compounds and chrysin or rutin for 24 h at 37 °C, 5% CO2 atmosphere, and 96% humidity. The amount of viable cell after the incubated time was recorded by using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: Chrysin in all tested concentration didn’t exhibit any cytoprotective effect against the tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative cell damage. Moreover, chrysin in a low concentration (5 and 10 µg/mL) didn’t protect the fibroblasts against oxidative cell damage induced by the hydrogen peroxide. However, chrysin in a concentration of 20 µg/mL showed a significant cytoprotective activity in the hydrogen peroxide-induced cell damage (p < 0.05). Rutin in all tested concentrations protected fibroblasts against hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative cell damage. The cytoprotective effect of rutin didn’t increase with the increase of the concentration when hydrogen peroxide is used to induce oxidative cell damage. However, rutin has protected cells against the tert-butyl hydroperoxide cytotoxicity in a concentration dependent manner. Conclusion: Given to the interesting cytoprotective activities exhibited by chrysin and rutin, further investigations to highlight their cytoprotective involved mechanisms are justified. Keywords: Chrysin, Cytoprotective, Fibroblasts, Rutin.