Gingko biloba, motherwort and hawthorn have antioxidant properties. - GreenMedInfo Summary

The aim of the study was to perform a quantitative analysis of fluid extracts of maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba L.), motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L.) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.), to evaluate their antioxidant activity and to compare their ability to inactivate free radicals. The antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH*and the ABTS*+ radical scavenging reaction systems. The study showed that the manifestation of the radical scavenging capacity in the DPPH* reaction system was in the following order: the fluid extract of hawthorn (70.37 +/- 0.80%)>the fluid extract of maidenhair tree (82.63 +/- 0.23%)>the fluid extract of motherwort (84.89 +/- 0.18%), while in the ABTS*+ reaction system, the manifestation of the radical scavenging capacity was in the following order: the fluid extract of hawthorn (87.09 +/- 0.55%)>the fluid extract of motherwort (88.28 +/- 1.06%)>the fluid extract of maidenhair tree (88.39 +/- 0.72%). The results showed that in the DPPH* reaction system, fluid extract of motherwort manifested higher antioxidant activity, compared to the fluid extracts of maidenhair tree and hawthorn. By contrast, in the ABTS*+ reaction system, higher antioxidant activity was found in the fluid extract of maidenhair tree, compared to the fluid extracts of motherwort and hawthorn. This would suggest that preparations manufactured from these herbal raw materials could be used as effective preventive means and valuable additional remedies in the treatment of diseases caused by oxidative stress.