Affiliations: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomolecolari, Università
degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy | Centro Integrato di Ricerche, Università Campus
Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Lucia Potenza, Dipartimento di
Scienze Biomolecolari, Via A. Saffi, 2 Università degli Studi di Urbino
"Carlo Bo", 61029 Urbino, Italy. Tel.: +39 0722 305232; Fax: +39 0722 305324;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Quercetin is a well-investigated antioxidant known to protect cells
against oxidative nuclear DNA damage. There is no knowledge regarding its
effect on oxidative mitochondrial DNA damage. In this study we investigated the
effect of quercetin on oxidatively-injured DNA. Cell-free and cell studies were
performed. Cell-free analyses carried out on plasmidic DNA showed that
quercetin protects from all oxidative challenges used. Cellular studies were
carried out on NCTC 2544 cells which were insulted with hydrogen peroxide and
UVC radiations. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNAs were analysed by measuring DNA
damage with a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quercetin supplementation
showed significant genoprotective activity on mitochondrial DNA when
hydroperoxide was used. The evidence of the protection afforded by quercetin
suggests that this flavonoid may play an important role on mitochondrial genome
stability.
