Aqueous Fraction of Cucumber Plant Extract Detoxifies Paraquat Phytotoxicity as a Superoxide Scavenger

The aqueous fraction of a methanol extract from a cucumber plant without fruit successively detoxified the paraquat phytotoxicity to soybean leaf. No injury was found when a 0.1% aqueous solution along with 100 μM paraquat was applied to the test plant. The cucumber extract induced the successful reduction of electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) production as a result of membrane lipid peroxidation. The cucumber extract had DPPH, hydroxyl-radical and superoxide scavenging activities of 82.3%, 68% and 71.2% for 5 mg/mL of the active substance, respectively. The mode of action for the active substance extracted from cucumber plants for paraquat detoxification might originate from the scavenging superoxide, produced by the bipyridyl radicals of paraquat. It is highly likely that the juice of cucumber plants has a curative role in patients poisoned by paraquat or peroxide pesticides. Practical Applications The cucumber plant extract detoxified Paraquat phytotoxicity to soybean leaf. The successful reduction of electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) production. The cucumber extract had DPPH, hydroxyl-radical and superoxide scavenging activities. The detoxification might originate from the scavenging bipyridyl radicals of paraquat.