Antioxidant Properties of Orally Administered of Aqueous Extracts of Selected Medicinal Plants and Paracetamol in Human Volunteers: In vivo

Abstract

Objectives: In the current study, we used the herbal plant extracts and studied antioxidative value against the well-known drug Paracetamol.

Methods: 54 Healthy volunteers were grouped into six groups, 5 groups drinking 200-250ml of aqueous extract from selected medicinal plants daily for 5 days and group six received 2 tablets of paracetamol (each tablet, 500 mg) daily for five days. Blood samples were taken before and 1 hr after the administration (samples 1 and 2, respectively) and then one day after the last dose of day five (sample 3). Serum total antioxidant status (TAS), red blood cell reduced glutathione (GSH), red blood cell malonyldialdehyde (MDA, and red blood cell superoxide dismutase (SOD) were used as assays.

Results: Oral administration of aqueous extracts of studied plants increased significantly the serum total antioxidant status and red blood cell reduced glutathione after 5 days of administration compared to 0 time of administration. Data also showed that red blood cell superoxide dismutase increased significantly after five days of aqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis & Saliva triloba administration compared to 0 time of administration. Oral administration of aqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis, Verbena triphylla, caused a significant decrease in red blood cell malonyldialdehyde. Oral administration of Paracetamol for 5 days did not affect total antioxidant status red blood cell malonyldialdehyde, red blood cell reduced glutathione and red blood cell superoxide dismutase.