Screening of Thirteen Medicinal Plant Extracts for Antioxidant Activity

Antioxidants are vital substances which possess the ability to protect the body fromdamage caused by free radical induced oxidative stress. a variety of free radical scavengingantioxidants exist within the body which many of them are derived from dietary sourceslike fruits, vegetables and teas. in this study the antioxidant activity and radical scavengingactivity of methanolic extracts of selected plant materials, traditionally used by iranianpopulation as folk remedies was evaluated against linoleic acid peroxidation and 2,2diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl radical. the antioxidant activity expressed as icso rangedfrom1.28 ng/ml in biebresteinia multifida to 63.48 ng/ml in polypodium vulgare. radicalscavenging activities expressed as icsovaried from 1.83 ug/ml in salix sp. to 187.88 ug/mlin allium hirtifolium