title: Antioxidative and free radical scavenging activities of selected medicinal herbs.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001761:Bleomycin; D013481:Superoxides; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical