World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

MEDICINAL PLANTS AS NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS

Sourav Biswas, Susmita Basak, *Dr. Dhrubo Jyoti Sen and Dr. Beduin Mahanti

ABSTRACT

Ayurvedic medicines are usually customized to an individual constitution. Ayurvedic Indian and traditional Chinese systems are living ‘great traditions’ and have important roles in bio prospecting of new medicines from medicinal plants, which are also rich sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants are the substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Since plants generate a great deal of antioxidants that can signify a vital source of fresh compounds with promising antioxidant property. The compounds that are found naturally in the body and also in variety of foods and that can react with and quench or inactivate a free radical so it cannot cause cellular damage. They can increase the antioxidant capacity of blood. In view of increasing risk factors of human to various deadly diseases, there has been a global trend toward the use of natural substance present in medicinal plants and dietary plants as therapeutic antioxidants. It has been reported that there is an inverse relationship between the dietary intake of antioxidant-rich food and medicinal plants and incidence of human diseases. A number of scientific studies are addressing the varied health benefits of antioxidant supplementation in processes like stress, ageing, pathogen infestation, reduce cell damaging effects, apoptosis and neurological diseases of free radicals. Certain synthetic antioxidants like butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) also reduce oxidation, but they have been reported dangerous to mankind, therefore investigation for non-toxic antioxidants have intensified in the recent years.

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