Antioxidant Activities of Plants Used in Traditional Medicine in Turkey

Abstract

Ethanol extracts from 6 species representing six different families, used in traditional medicine in Turkey were evaluated for their antioxidant activities. The inhibition of superoxide anion formation and lipid peroxidation levels of Ononis spinosa, Centranthus longiflorus, Lythrum salicaria, Plantago major, Juglans regia and Teucrium polium extracts were tested using in vitro standard procedures and IC50 values were determined. In vitro tests included superoxide anion radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation. All ethanol extracts of plants showed concentration-dependent superoxide anion radical scavenging activity. The results of the superoxide anion formation assay showed that the ethanol extract of Centranthus longiflorus was found to be most potent inhibitor (IC50 0.77 mg/ml) and followed by Plantago major (IC50 1.21 mg/ml), Juglans regia (IC50 1.39 mg/ml), Ononis spinosa (IC50 1.35 mg/ml), Teucrium polium (IC50 3.10 mg/ml) and Lythrum salicaria (IC50 5.00 mg/ml). All the extracts, excluding Ononis spinosa and Teucrium polium, showed concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. IC50 values of the effective ethanol extracts of plants on lipid peroxidation were as follows: Juglans regia (IC50 3.3 mg/ml), Plantago major (IC50 3.4 mg/ml), Centranthus longiflorus (IC50 3.9 mg/ml) and Lythrum salicaria (IC50 5.3 mg/ml). The results showed that Centranthus longiflorus, Plantago major and Juglans regia extracts had the highest antioxidant capacities among the six species examined.