The Screening of Antioxidant Activity in some Korean Medicinal Plants

한국 약식동원 식물자원의 항산화 활성 비교

This study was conducted to find the powerful free radical scavenging effect in methanol extracts from 35 kinds of Korean medicinal plants obtained from the Plant Extract Bank as natural plant products. Antioxidant activity of the plant extracts was determined by measuring the scavenging effect of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH). In the screening of plant extracts tested, at 200 ppm level, almost all plantex tracts showed significantly high antionidant activity. In the reinvestigation of 15 kinds of Korean medicinal plants at 50 ppm level selected as good sources with good free radical scavenging effect at 200 ppm level, the DPPH scavenging effects were similar to those of L-ascorbic acid in whole plant extract of Fragaria yezoensis (90.4％), in the plant stems and roots extract of Gingko biloba, and the leaves extract of Rhododendron mucronulatum var. ciliatum (90％). The fruits extract of Cornus officinalis showed the strongest antioxidant activity (95％). These results suggest that the methanol extracts from Korean medicinal plants can be a potential source of antioxidants that can be used to control oxidative stress in the body, But further study is needed to measure their safety for consumption