Cellular damage or oxidative injury arising from free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) now appears the fun-damental mechanism underlying a number of human neurodegenerative disorder, diabetes, inflammation, viral infec-tions, autoimmune pathologies and digestive system disorders. Free radicals are generated through normal metabolism of drugs, environmental chemicals and other xenobiotics as well as endogenous chemicals, especially stress hormones (adrenalin and noradrenalin). Accumulated evidence suggests that ROS can be scavenged through chemoprevention utilizing natural antioxidant compounds present in foods and medicinal plants. In this review, research on the antioxi-dant potential of some medicinal plants of origin of Central India is considered.4CdBw3
KeywordsMedicinal PlantsAntioxidant ActivityChemopreventionNeurodegenerative DiseasesCentral India
M. G. Repetto and S. F. Llesuy, “Antioxidant Properties of Natural Compounds Used in Popular Medicine for Tric Ulcers,” Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Re-search, Vol. 35, No. 35, 2002, pp. 523-534.
O. I. Aruoma, “Methodological Considerations for Cha-racterizing Potential Antioxidant Actions of Bioactive Coments in Food Plants,” Mutation Research, No. 523- 524, 2003, pp. 9-20.
Y. Z. Surh and L. R. Ferguson, “Dietary and Medicinal Antimutagens and Anticarcinogens: Molecular Mechan-isms and Chemopreventive Potential-Highlight of a Symposium,” 2003.
S. E. Atawodi, “Antioxidant Potential of African Medicinal Plants,” African Journal of Biotechnology. Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, pp. 128-133.
M. C. Sabu and R. Kuttan, “Antidiabetic Activity of Me-dicinal Plants and its Relationship with their Antioxidant Property,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol. 81, 2002, pp. 155-160.
J. W. Boynes, “Role of Oxidative Stress in the develop-ment of complication in diabetes,” Diabetes, Vol. 40, 1991, pp. 405-411.
A. Collier, R. Wilson, H. Bradley, J. A. Thomson and M. Small, “Free Radical Activity in Type 2 Diabetes,” Di-abetes, Vol. 7, 1990, pp. 27-30.
A. S. Tsa, E. S. Kim and W. K. Hong, “Chemoprevention of Cancer,” CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol. 54, 2004, pp. 150-180.
N. Delanty and M. Dichter, “Antioxidant Therapy in Neurologic Diseases,” Archives of Neurology Vol. 57, No. 9, 2000, pp. 1265-1270.
E. J. Park and J. M. Pezzuto, “Botanical in Ncer Chemo-prevention,” Cancer and Metastasis Reviews. Vol. 31, No. 3-4, 2002, pp. 231-255.
L. W. Wattenberg, “Chemoprevention of Cancer,” Pre-ventive Medicine, Vol. 25, 1996, pp. 44-45.
P. Greenwald, “Science, Medicine and the Future of Cancer Chemoprevention,” British Medical Journal, Vol. 324, 2002, pp. 714-718.
IARC, “Preamble to the IARC handbook of cancer che-moprevention. In principles of chemoprevention. Stewart BW,” In: M. C. Gregor and P. Keihues Eds, International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Scientific Publi-cation, Lyon, No. 139, 1996, pp. 1-12.
H. Fujiki, “Two Sges of Cancer Prevention with Granm tea,” Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, Vol. 125, No. 11, 1999, pp. 589-597.
A. D. Kinghorn, B. N. Su, D. S. Jang, L. C. Chang, J. Q. Gu, E. J. Carcache-Blanco, A. D. Pawlus, S. K. Lee, E. J. Park, M. Cuendet, J. J. gills, H. S. Bhat, E. M. Greenwood, L. L. Song, M. Jang and J. M. Pezzuto, “Natural Inhibitors of Carcinogenesis,” Planta Medica, Vol. 70, Vol. 8, 2004, pp. 691-705.
F. Borelli and A. A. Izzo, “The Plants Kindom as a Source of Anti-Ulcer Remedies,” Phytotherapy Research, Vol. 14, No. 8, 2000, pp. 581-591.
M. J. Howes, N. S. Perry and P. J. Houghton, “Plants with Traditional Uses and Activities, Relevant to the Management of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders,” Phytotherapy Research, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2003, pp. 1-18.
E. K. Perry, A. T. Pickering, W. W. Wang, P. Houghton and N. S. Perry, “Medicinal Plants and Alzheimer’s Dis-ease: Integrating Ethonobotanical and Contemporary Scientific Evidence,” Journal of Alternative and Com-plementary Medicine, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1998, pp. 419-428.
N. Delanty and M. Dichter, “Antioxidant therapy in neu-rologic diseases,” Archives of Neurology, Vol. 57, No. 9, 2000, pp. 1265-1270.
J. W. Anderson, B. M. Smith and C. S. Wasnock, “Car-diovascular and Renal Benefits of Dry Bean and Soyabean Intake,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 70, 1999, pp. 464-474.
R. Rai and V. Nath, “Use of Medicinal Plants by Tradi-tional Herbal Healers in Central India,” XII World Forestry Congress, 2003
S. Jain, V. K. Dixit, N. Malviya and V. Ambawatia, “An-tioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activity of Ethanolic and Aqueous Extract of Amorphophallus Campanulatus Roxb. Tubers,” Aeta Poloniac Pharmaceutica-Drug Research, Vol. 66, No. 4, 2009, pp. 423-428.
H. U. Nwanjo, “Antioxidant activity of the exudates from Aloe barbadensis leaves in diabetic rats,” Biokemistri, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2006, pp. 77-81.
S. K. Ojha, M. Nandave, S. Kumari and D. S. Arya, “An-tioxidant Activity of Andrographis paniculata in Ischemic Myocardium of Rats,” Global Journal of pharmacology, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2009, pp. 154-157.
M. Zahin, F. Aqil and I. Ahmad, “The in Vitro Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Four Indian Medicinal Plants,” International Journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2009, pp. 88- 95.
S. Upadhya, K. K. Shanbhag, G. Suneetha and N. M. Balachandra, “A Study of Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Activity of Aegle Marmelos in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats,” Indian Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology, Vol. 48, No. 4, 2004, pp. 476-480.
S. Miladi and M. Damak, “In Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Aloe Vera Leaf Skin Extracts,” Journal de la Societe Chimique de Tunisie, Vol. 10, 2008, pp. 101-109.
G. A. Ayoola, H. A. B. Coker, S. A. Adesegun, A. A. A. Depoju-Bello, K. Obaweya, E. C. Ezennia and T. O. Atanbayila, “Phutochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activities of Some Selected Medicinal Plants Used for Malaria Therapy in Southwestern Nigeria,” Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2008, pp. 1019-1024.
T. Bahorun, V. S. Neergheen and O. L. Aruoma, “Phyto-chemical Constituent of Cassia Fistula,” African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 4, No. 13, 2005, pp. 1530-1540.
M. R. Venukumar and M. S. Latha, “Antioxidant Activity of Curculigo Orchioides in Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatopathy in Rats,” Indian Journal of Clinical Bio-chemistry, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2002, pp. 80-87.
K. R. Nagunlendran, S. Velavan, R. Mahesh and V. H. Begum, “In Vitro Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Cyperus Rotundus Rhizomes,” E-Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2007, pp. 440-449.
V. Vadlapudi and K. C. Naidu, “In Vitro Bioevaluation of Some Indian Medicinal Plants,” Drug Invention Today, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2010, pp. 65-68.
P. Veeru, M. P. KIshor and M. Meenakshi, “Screening of Medicinal Plant Extracts for Antioxidant Activity,” Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, Vol. 3, No. 8, 2009, pp. 608-612.
R. K. Sharma, S. Chatterji, D. K. Rai, S. Mehta, P. K. Rai, R. K. Singh, G. Watal and B. Sharma, “Antioxidant Ac-tivities and Phenolic Contents of the Aqueous Extracts of Some Indian Medicinal Plants,” Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, Vol. 3, No. 11, 2009, pp. 944-948.
N. M. Ansari, L. Houlihan, B. Hussain and A. Pieroni, “Antioxidant Activity of Five Vegetables Traditionally Consumed by South-Asian Migrants in Bradford,” Phy-totherapy Research, Yorkshire, Vol. 19, 2005, pp. 907- 911.
Z. P. Ruan, L. L. Zhang and Y. M. Lin, “Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity of Syzygium Cumini Leaves,” Molecules, Vol. 13, 2008, pp. 2545-2556.