Plants collected from Limpopo province of South Africa were investigated for their antioxidative potential using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Acetone extracts of Flueggea virosa had the highest antioxidant activity with an IC 50 value of 30 μg/ml, closely matching the ascorbic acid with an IC 50 value of 25 μg/ml. The lowest antioxidant readings were observed with extracts of Rhynchosia venulosa (root extract) and Ficus ingens (leaf extract). Acetone extract of Bridelia virosa leaves had the highest phenolic content (156 mg GAE/g extract), while the lowest content was recorded for R. venulosa root extract and leaf extract of F. ingens (8.3 and 17.7 mg GAE/g extract, respectively). There was a linear correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. Extracts with high phenolic content had low IC 50 values, while extracts with low phenolic concentrations had high IC 50 values. Keywords: antioxidant activity; medicinal plants; DPPH; phenolicsAbbreviations: GAE, gallic acid equivalent; EC 50 , effective concentration 50; DPPH, diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl IntroductionMan is continually exposed to situations that increase the level of risk of exposure to oxidative stress, a phenomenon strongly linked with the onset and progression of several diseases (Sun et al., 2002). Oxidative stress is implicated in the development of diseases such as malaria, acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), heart diseases and diabetes mellitus (Hertog et al., 1993not found in references; Alho and Leinonen, 1999 not found in references). These diseases may develop as a result of direct damage to molecules such as membrane lipids, DNA or proteins (Tippani et al., 2010) not found in references. In many rural areas of South Africa, plants form the core of primary health care and dietary supply. The plants consumed as fruits, teas, wines, vegetables and medicines may contain a large quantity of antioxidant compounds which scavenge free radicals. Consumption of these plant-derived materials as well as synthetic antioxidant is alleged to reduce the risks of heart diseases, diabetes and cancer (Ames et al., 1993;Knekt et al., 1997;Willett, 2002;Halliwell, 1978), possibly due to presence of antioxidants in these materials (Kalt and Kushad, 2000). Extracts of several medicinal plants possess antioxidant activity (Hinneburg et al., 2006; Shai et al., 2010;Cui et al., 2005). Many of the plants that have a high concentration of phenolics have good antioxidant activity (Rice-Evans et al., 1996;Zheng and Wang, 2001). However, little attention has been directed at the determination of antioxidant potential of plants (Tilak et al., 2004). The main aim of the study was to determine the antioxidant activity in some edible wild fruit-bearing plants that are also used as components of traditional medicine preparations. Materials and Methods ExtractionPlant material (leaves or roots) were collected in April 2011 at Mashishimale village in Phalaborwa, South Africa. Ficus ingens was collected from the Lowveld National Botanical ...