Antioxidative and free radical scavenging activities of selected medicinal herbs

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) Vol. 66; no. 8; pp. 725 - 735
• Main Authors: Liu, F., Ng, T.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 14-01-2000
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - pharmacology; antioxidant; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Bleomycin - pharmacology; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; DNA Damage - drug effects; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - metabolism; free radical; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; Hemolysis - drug effects; Hydroxyl Radical - metabolism; In Vitro Techniques; Indicators and Reagents; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - metabolism; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Male; medicinal herbs; peroxidation; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Superoxides - metabolism; antioxidant; medicinal herbs; free radical; peroxidation
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/S0024-3205(99)00643-8

The antioxidative and superoxide- and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activities and pro-oxidant effect of twelve selected medicinal herbs were studied. The aqueous extracts of
Coptis chinensis, Paeonia suffruticosa, Prunella vulgaris and
Senecio scandens exhibited the highest potency in inhibiting rat erythrocyte hemolysis and lipid peroxidation in rat kidney and brain homogenates. The aforementioned four herbs also demonstrated strong superoxide- and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, but exerted only a slight pro-oxidant effect.