Scavenging Effect of Plant-Derived Materials on Free Radieals and Active Oxygen Species

The in vitro antioxidative activities of the 33 plant-derived essential oils and 37 phytochemicals including 3 Mentha arvensis leaf-, 2 Thymus vulgaris leaf- and 2 Syzygium aromaticum flower-derived isolates were determined by the inhibition of linoleic acid autoxidation, the generation of superoxide anion and scavenging of DPPH radical. They were then compared to those of the widely used plant-derived antioxidants (pyrogallol and quercetin) and synthetic antioxidant BHT. At a concentration of 0.01%, potent antioxidative effect was observed in the essential oils from Cinnamomum cassia roots, Mentha arvensis leaves, Ginkgo biloba fruits, and Syzygium aromaticum flowers. Of the phytochemicals used, eugenol and isoeugenol at 0.01% showed potent antioxidative activity, and their activities were comparable to those of pyrogallol, quercetin, and BHT. The Cinnamomum root-, the Mentha leaf-, the Ginkgo fruit-, and the Syzygium flower-derived materials may be a good source for an alternative to the currently used antioxidants.