title: Free radical scavenging (DPPH) potential in nine Mentha species.
abstract: Mentha species are used in every day life in various food items. These species produce valuable secondary metabolites that scavenge toxic free radicals. Toxic free radicals can cause different diseases in the human body. In the present study free radical scavenging potential (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity) in nine Mentha species were investigated to evaluate and explore new potential sources for natural antioxidants. The activity was performed after different time intervals with incubation period of 30 minutes. The methanolic extracts revealed that significantly higher activity (82%) was observed in Mentha suaveolens, followed by Mentha longifolia (79%), Mentha officinalis (76%) and Mentha piperita, Mentha pulegium, Mentha royleana (75%), respectively. Significantly same activity was observed in Mentha arvensis and Mentha spicata. Lower activity was observed in Mentha citrata (64%). The present study revealed that these species can be used as natural antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. nisarbiotech@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nisar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Hina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fazal
authors.forename: Iftikhar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Bilal Haider
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Abbasi
mesh_terms: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027541:Mentha / Q000737:chemistry*; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D000432:Methanol