Affiliations: Department of Food Science, Jinan University,
Guangzhou 510630, P.R. of China | Nutritional Science, School of Humanities for
Environmental Policy and Technology, Himeji Institute of Technology, Himeji,
670-0092, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Naoko Hiramatsu, Himeji Institute of
Technology, 1-1-12 Shinzaike-honcho, Himeji Hyogo 670-0092, Japan. Tel.: +81
792 92 1515; Fax: +81 792 93 5710; E-mail: hiramats@hept.himeji-tech.ac.jp
Abstract: The objective of this research was to examine the radical scavenging
activity of traditional Japanese herbs. Samples used in the experiments were
gennoshoko (Geranium nepalense var. thunbergii), yomogi (Artemisia vulgaris
var.indica), senburi (Swertia japonica), iwa-tobacco (Conandron ramondioides),
sarunokoshikake (Elfvingia applanata), kanzo (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch) and
matatabi (Actinidia polygama). The water-soluble components of the herbs were
extracted in boiling water, and the volatile oil was extracted by a
distillation apparatus or steeping in some organic solvents such as petroleum
ether and ethyl ether. The radical scavenging activity was determined by the
decrease of free radicals of DPPH detected by both colorimetric assay and HPLC
method at 517~nm. The extracts of gennoshoko, yomogi and iwa-tobacco showed
remarkable radical scavenging activity. The volatile oil of yomogi obtained by
distillation or steeping in organic solvents had especially strong
antioxidative activity.
