Inhibitory effect of the ethyl acetate fraction from astringent persimmon on H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells

Persimmon cv. Sangjudungsi (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is a major astringent cultivar in Korea. A phenolic extract of cv. Sangjudungsi was obtained using acetone with homogenization, then sequentially fractionated into n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water fractions. These 5 fractions were used to evaluate levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids, and the antioxidant capacities, and to investigate whether the fractions protected human hepatoma HepG2 cells from deleterious oxidative stress. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids, and the greatest antioxidant capacity. Under oxidative stress caused by H2O2, the ethyl acetate fraction at non-toxic concentrations significantly (p < 0.05) restored the viability of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, compared with a control. The ethyl acetate fraction also alleviated intracellular oxidative stress, possibly due to effective antioxidant activities in cells. Astringent persimmons are a good source of antioxidants for reduction of oxidative stress.