In vitro models for antioxidant activity evaluation and some medicinal plants possessing antioxidant properties: An overview

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a class of highly reactive molecules derived from the metabolism of oxygen. ROS, including superoxide radicals, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide molecules are often generated as by products of biological reactions or from exogenous factors. There is extensive evidence to involve ROS in the development of degenerative diseases. Evidence suggests that compounds especially from natural sources are capable of providing protection against free radicals. This has attracted a great deal of research interest in natural antioxidants. It is necessary to Screen out medicinal plants for their antioxidant potential. Therefore an attempt has been made to review different in vitro models for estimating antioxidant properties of natural products from medicinal plants. All the models are described along with the different standards that can be used for estimation. In the end, a large number of plants showing in vitro antioxidant activity are listed but in vivostudies are lacking.    Key words: Antioxidant assay, in vitro models, antioxidant medicinal plants.