Abstract
Cellular damage or oxidative injury arising from free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) now appears the fundamental mechanism underlying a number of human neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, inflammation, viral infections, 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. Plant extracts and their constituents as a natural source of antioxidants have been extensively reviewed. Plant extracts containing low molecular mass compounds have been successively used in phytotherapy since ancient times, as reactive oxygen species are involved in several diseases in this review, research on the antioxidant potential of medicinal plants. (C) 2011 King Saud University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.