Comparative Anti-radical Activity of Five Indigenous Herbal Plants and their Polyherbal Extract

Aims: This study comparatively evaluated the radical scavenging activity of the methanolic extracts of five indigenous plants, namely- Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), Nauclea latifolia (Rubiaceae), Phyllantus spp (Euphorbiaceae), Khaya senegalensis (Meliaceae) and Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) and their polyherbal extract referred to as Gingered Polyherbal Tea (GPHT).

Study Design: Experimental.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria in July 2015.

Methodology: The extract of each plant and their polyherbal combination were studied for anti-radical activity using 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Hydroxyl ion, Nitric oxide and Super oxide free radical scavenging assays.

Results: The following trend was observed in the anti-radical activity of the extracts: GPHT > Ascorbic acid/Gallic acid> Zingiber officinale> Camellia sinensis> Nauclea latifolia>Khaya senegalensis>Phyllantus spp.

Conclusion: The extracts showed varying levels of anti-radical activity individually and contributed synergistically to the anti-radical activity of their polyherbal extract. This observation could be employed in designing new drug combinations that will provide better therapeutic options for the prevention and treatment of many oxidative stress- related diseases.