Major
Chinese
Second Major
Biology
Advisor
Ma, Hang
Advisor Department
Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Date
5-2023
Keywords
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); Antioxidant Activity; Phytochemical Profile
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), specifically the extracts of Chinese medicinal plants, has been studied for thousands of years to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases. Our research group has initiated a program to systemically investigate the phytochemical composition and biological activities of a library of TCM medicinal plants. Herein, extracts of four commonly used TCM plants including broccoli (Brassica oleracea) seeds, horny goat weed (Epimedium brevicomu), houpu magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) bark, and golden root (Rhodiola rosea) were selected for this study. The antioxidant effects of these extracts were evaluated in a biochemical assay using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) for free radicals scavenging capacity. Rhodiola rosea and Magnolia officinalis showed the highest DPPH scavenging effects with as IC50 of 12.51 and 30.30, respectively, followed by Brassica oleracea and Epimedium brevicomu with moderate antioxidant activity (IC50 = 349.70 and 374.5, respectively). In addition, the phytochemical components of four extracts were characterized by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Data from this study support the potential application of plant extract of TCM for antioxidant effects.