Synergistic in Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Linum Usitatissimum and Mentha Spicata

Abstract

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are free radicals that contain oxygen and easily react with another cell molecule. Excessive ROS formation damages the macromolecules of a cell, like lipids, DNA, and proteins, leading to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radical production and the body's ability to neutralize them through anti-oxidants. Oxidative stress can lead to atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, cancer, etc. Synthetic anti-oxidants, such as Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), have recently been allegedly dangerous for human health. Thus, the need arises for searching and identifying natural sources of antioxidants, which would be useful for the primary prevention of the above disorders. The main objective of this study is to explore the synergistic in vitro anti-oxidant activity of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) and mint (Mentha spicata) combination. It was achieved by performing in vitro spectrophotometric techniques such as ABTS (2,2-azinobis-(3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) and DPPH(2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) H2O2(hydrogen peroxide) and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. The percentage of inhibition was calculated, and the results were expressed in terms of IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration). Although there are numerous studies on the antioxidant properties of Linum usitatissimum and Mentha spicata, there are no reports on their comparative and synergistic antioxidant properties. This study was therefore performed to investigate the comparative and synergistic anti-oxidant properties of Linum usitatissimum and Mentha spicata.