Antioxidative Activities of Korean Medicinal Plants

One hundred sixty species among Korean medicinal plants were tested on their antioxidative potentials. Antioxidants are useful materials which could be expected into development as food preservatives, health foods, cosmetics and drugs. Korean peninsula have many potential in antioxidant source which includes various medicinal herbs. It grounded on the fact that Korean medicinal plants have been used as folk therapy for long time and still do in oriental medicine. From the study, effective free radical scavengers compared with ${\alpha}-tocopherol\;of\;13.5{\mu}g/ml\;in\;RC_{50}$ were Geranium sibiricum, Geum japonicum, Geranium nepalense subsp. thunbergii and Paulownia coreana which showed $19.3{\mu}g/ml,\;22.5{\mu}g/ml,\;23.9{\mu}g/ml,\;and\;27.2{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, Acer mono and 38 plants showed strong potential in inhibition rate on linoleic acid oxidation (above 90%). In conclusion, we expect that the selected medicinal plants must be more studied as antioxidant and then developed as many industrial materials.

한국산 약용식물의 항산화 효과

천연 보존제, 기능성 식품 및 화장품 그리고 의약품 신소재의 발굴을 위한 전단계로서 국내산 약용식물 160종 209점에 대한 DPPH 라디칼 소거 및 linoleic acid 과산화 저해 등의 항산화능을 평가하였다. DPPH 라디칼 소거능에서는 $13.5{\mu}g/ml$의 $RC_{50}$을 보인 ${\alpha}-tocopherol$을 대조구로 하였을 때 쥐손이풀 지상부, 뱀무 지상부, 이질풀 지상부, 오동나무 잎이 각각 $19.3{\mu}g/ml,\;22.5{\mu}g/ml,\;23.9{\mu}g/ml,$ 및 $27.2{\mu}g/ml$로서 우수하였고, linoleic acid과산화 반응에 대해서는 고로쇠나무 잎 등 38점의 식물추출물이 90%이상의 강한 항산화력을 나타내었다.