Antioxidant Activity of Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Abstract

Sequential extraction with petroleum ether, chloroformethyl acetate, methanol, and water was carried out on 40 commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs. The antioxidant power of different fraction extracts was measured with both the DPPH assay and the FRAP assay. Ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene were used as two reference antioxidants. The total phenolic content of the extracts was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The fraction extracts showed different antioxidant activity in the two assays; however, there was a significant positive correlation between the DPPH assay and the FRAP assay. Methanol fraction extracts generally demonstrated stronger antioxidant power and higher total phenolic content than did the others. The results suggest that Radix Sanguisorbae, Cortex cinnamomi, Herba taxilli, Semen arecae, and L., Cinnamomum cassia Presl ., Taxillus sutchuenensis (Lecomte) Danser, Areca catechu Linn. and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi contain relatively high values in antioxidant power and/or high total phenolic content. This study is the first comprehensive antioxidant activity evaluation among Chinese medicinal herbs. It demonstrates that most Chinese medicinal herbs are also useful in preventing various degenerative diseases.

Efficacy of Cinnamomum cassia Blume. in age induced sexual dysfunction of rats

“…Herbal extract having antioxidant potential is reported to increase live sperm percentage and decrease sperm morphological damage. 33 Cinnamomum cassia was reported to possess antioxidant property 32 and cinnamon bark oil at a dose of 100 mg/kg by gavage daily for 10 weeks to the rats significantly increased epididymal sperm concentration but insignificantly decreased abnormal sperm count and apoptotic germ cell count. 34 Decrease in dead and defective sperm percentage in aged rat treated with CCME might be due to antioxidant potential of CCME.…”

Antimycobacterial Activity Some Different Lamiaceae Plant Extracts Containing Flavonoids and Other Phenolic Compounds

“…Extracts of dried plants were prepared by the sequential extraction method (Chan et al, 2008) using 1 L of chloroform (CL), ethyl acetate (EA) and methanol (ME) at room temperature over a period of fifteen days. Finally, three extract fractions were obtained from each plants.…”

DNA protection activity of a hydroethanol extract and six polyphenol monomers fromMorus alba L. (mulberry) twig

“…For example, DNA damage can be prevented by certain molecules, especially natural antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids, which exist in fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. [17][18][19][20][21][22] Screening for highly effective, non-toxic, antioxidant compounds that protect against DNA damage is now an active area of biomedical research [23] , and interest in this area is growing. Various natural antioxidants have been successfully isolated from plants, such as rutin, resveratrol, and various flavonoids.…”