Triphala,a formulation of traditional Ayurvedic medicine,shows protective effect against X-radiation in HeLa cells

Ayurveda is a holistic medical system of traditional medicine, and Triphala is one of the most popular formulations in Ayurveda. Triphala is composed of three kinds of herb, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica, and Emblica officinalis. Since Triphala is shown to exhibit a protective activity against ionizing radiation in mice, we investigated its activity in HeLa cells. We found that Triphala showed the protective effects against X-radiation and bleomycin, both of which generate DNA strand breaks, in HeLa cells. Further, Triphala efficiently eliminated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HeLa cells. Thus, the antioxidant activity of Triphala would likely play a role in its protective actions against X-radiation and bleomycin because both agents damage DNA through the generation of ROS. These observations suggested that the radioprotective activity of Triphala can be, at least partly, studied with the cells cultured in vitro. The simple bioassay system with human cultured cells would facilitate the understanding of the molecular basis for the beneficial effects of Triphala.     

Effect of Triphala on oxidative stress and on cell-mediated immune response against noise stress in rats

Stress is one of the basic factors in the etiology of number of diseases. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of Triphala (Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica and Emblica officinalis) on noise-stress induced alterations in the antioxidant status and on the cell-mediated immune response in Wistar strain male albino rats. Noise-stress employed in this study was 100 dB for 4 h/d/15 days and Triphala was used at a dose of 1 g/kg/b.w/48 days. Eight different groups of rats namely, non-immunized: control, Triphala, noise-stress, Triphala with noise-stress, and corresponding immunized groups were used. Sheep red blood cells (5×10⁹ cells/ml) were used to immunize the animals. Biochemical indicators of oxidative stress namely lipid peroxidation, antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), ascorbic acid in plasma and tissues (thymus and spleen) and SOD, GPx and corticosterone level in plasma were estimated. Cell-mediated immune response namely foot pad thickness (FPT) and leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) test were performed only in immunized groups. Results showed that noise-stress significantly increased the lipid peroxidation and corticosterone level with concomitant depletion of antioxidants in plasma and tissues of both non-immunized and immunized rats. Noise-stress significantly suppressed the cell-mediated immune response by decreased FPT with an enhanced LMI test. The supplementation with Triphala prevents the noise-stress induced changes in the antioxidant as well as cell-mediated immune response in rats. This study concludes that Triphala restores the noise-stress induced changes may be due to its antioxidant properties.     

High-performance liquid chromatography as a tool for the chemical standardisation of Triphala--an Ayurvedic formulation

Triphala is an anti-oxidant-rich herbal formulation containing fruits of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula and T. belerica in equal proportions. The preparation is frequently used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat diseases such as anaemia, jaundice, constipation, asthma, fever and chronic ulcers. Anti-mutagenic effects of the polyphenolic fractions isolated from Triphala have been reported, thus indicating that the phenols present in the formulation might be responsible for its therapeutic efficacy. A simple high-performance liquid chromatography method for the separation and quantitative determination of the major antioxidant polyphenols from Triphala has been developed. The use of an RP18 column with an acidic mobile phase enabled the efficient separation of gallic acid, tannic acid, syringic acid and epicatechin along with ascorbic acid within a 20 min analysis. Validation of the method was performed in order to demonstrate its selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness. In addition, optimisation of the complete extraction of phenolic compounds was also studied.     

Protective Effects of Triphala on Dermal Fibroblasts and Human Keratinocytes

Human skin is body’s vital organ constantly exposed to abiotic oxidative stress. This can have deleterious effects on skin such as darkening, skin damage, and aging. Plant-derived products having skin-protective effects are well-known traditionally. Triphala, a formulation of three fruit products, is one of the most important rasayana drugs used in Ayurveda. Several skin care products based on Triphala are available that claim its protective effects on facial skin. However, the skin protective effects of Triphala extract (TE) and its mechanistic action on skin cells have not been elucidated in vitro. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, and chebulinic acid were deduced by LC-MS as the major constituents of TE. The identified key compounds were docked with skin-related proteins to predict their binding affinity. The IC₅₀ values for TE on human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were 204.90 ± 7.6 and 239.13 ± 4.3 μg/mL respectively. The antioxidant capacity of TE was 481.33 ± 1.5 mM Trolox equivalents in HaCaT cells. Triphala extract inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) induced RBC haemolysis (IC₅₀ 64.95 μg/mL), nitric oxide production by 48.62 ± 2.2%, and showed high reducing power activity. TE also rescued HDF from H₂O₂-induced damage; inhibited H₂O₂ induced cellular senescence and protected HDF from DNA damage. TE increased collagen-I, involucrin and filaggrin synthesis by 70.72 ± 2.3%, 67.61 ± 2.1% and 51.91 ± 3.5% in HDF or HaCaT cells respectively. TE also exhibited anti-tyrosinase and melanin inhibition properties in a dose-dependent manner. TE increased the mRNA expression of collagen-I, elastin, superoxide dismutase (SOD-2), aquaporin-3 (AQP-3), filaggrin, involucrin, transglutaminase in HDF or HaCaT cells, and decreased the mRNA levels of tyrosinase in B16F10 cells. Thus, Triphala exhibits protective benefits on skin cells in vitro and can be used as a potential ingredient in skin care formulations.     

The Effect of Bioactive Compounds on In Vitro and In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of Different Berry Juices

Background

Berry fruit is known for its high contents of various bioactive compounds. The latter constitute of anthocyanins, flavonols and flavanols and posses high antioxidative activity. The highly dynamic antioxidant system can be evaluated in vitro and in vivo in several model organisms. These measurements represent a good approximation of the real potential of bioactive compounds in the cells of higher eucarions. The aim of the study was thus to determine in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of different berry juices, which reportedly contain high amounts of phenolics.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Five different berry species were collected from several locations in central Slovenia and juice was extracted from each species separately. Juice was assessed for their in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. Phenolic profiles of berries were determined with the use of a HPLC/MS system, in vitro antioxidant activity with the DPPH radical scavenging method and in vivo antioxidative activity using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The highest diversity of individual phenols was detected for bilberry juice. The highest in vitro antioxidant capacity was determined for blackcurrant juice. A decrease in intracellular oxidation compared to control was observed in the following order: blackcurrant < chokeberry = blueberry < bilberry. The results indicate important differences in antioxidant activity of berry juices between in vitro and in vivo studies.

Conclusion/Significance

In addition to the total content of phenolic compounds entering the cells, a key factor determining antioxidative activity of berry juices is also the ratio between the compounds. Where high content levels of anthocyanins and very low content levels of flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acids were measured a lower intracellular oxidation has been detected. Specifically, intracellular oxidation increased with higher consumption of hydroxycinnamic acids and lower consumption of anthocyanins in the cells. Antioxidative activity also increased when the consumption of analyzed phenols was rather low.     

Nephroprotective,cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of Euphorbia paralias

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of the ethyl acetate fraction of the aerial parts of E. paralias L. F. Euphorbiaceae on nephroprotective, cytotoxic, and antioxidant.Methodsdifferent spectroscopic and spectrophotometric methods were applied to identify phytoconstituents. The nephroprotective potential of E. paralias ethyl acetate fraction (Ep EtOAc) was evaluated in male rats with thioacetamide-induced kidney injury, as wll as cytotoxic activity was evaluated using a viability assay, and the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH method. Results: quantitative estimation of total phenolics and flavonoids of E. paralias was performed using unique spectrophotometric methods. The polyphenolic compounds gallic acid (1), ellagic acid (2), kaempferol-3-O-(6″-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranoside) (3), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and quercetin-3-O-β-D-arabinoside (5) were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the aerial parts of E. paralias. The thioacetamide administration resulted in marked nephrotoxicity, but pretreatment with Ep EtOAc significantly attenuated the nephrotoxicity through alteration of kidney biomarkers, thereby improving the redox status of the tissue and restoring serum biochemical parameters nearly to normal levels. This study revealed a significant cytotoxic and strong antioxidant effect. Conclusion: we conclude that the Ep EtOAc may be used in the future as nephroprotective, cytotoxic, and antioxidant agent derived from a natural source.     

Effect of Egyptian propolis on the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification and its antiviral activity with special emphasis on chemical composition

The antioxidant activity of eight Egyptian propolis samples from different localities was evaluated by the antioxidative potential and capacity of the DPPH-ESR signal, superoxide anion generated in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase (XOD) system and low density lipoprotein (LDL) peroxidation assay. As, F, Is and D samples showed the highest antioxidative capacity and potential, respectively. The El, IsR, Is, D and So samples exhibited highly significant antioxidant activity in the XOD system and in LDL peroxidation assays. The antiviral activity of propolis samples was investigated. They showed variations in their activity; sample D induced the highest antiviral activity against Newcastle disease virus and infectious bursal disease virus. 42 Polyphenolic compounds were identified by HPLC; 13 aromatic acids, esters and alcohols were present, 29 flavonoids were identified, 6 of them being new to propolis.     

Purification and Characterization of Antioxidant Peptides from Oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) Hydrolysate and the Anticancer Activity of Hydrolysate on Human Colon Cancer Cell Lines

The focus of the study was to investigate antioxidant activity and characterize antioxidant peptides from oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) protein hydrolysate. The protease hydrolysate of oyster exhibited strong potential to donate hydrogen and was able to scavenge Hydrogen peroxide, Hydroxyl and DPPH radicals. Due to the high antioxidant potential, hydrolysate was purified in Sephadex G-25 gel filtration chromatography. The active peptide fraction was further purified by UPLC-MS. Totally seven antioxidant peptides were collected. Among seven peptides (SCAP 1–7), three peptides (SCAP 1, 3 and 7) had highest scavenging ability on DPPH radicals. The amino acid sequence and molecular mass of purified antioxidant peptides (SCAP1, SCAP3 and SCAP7) were determined by Q-TOF ESI mass spectroscopy and structures of the peptides were Leu-Ala-Asn-Ala-Lys (MW = 515.29 Da), Pro-Ser-Leu-Val-Gly-Arg-Pro–Pro-Val-Gly-Lys-Leu-Thr-Leu (MW = 1,432.89 Da) and Val-Lys-Val-Leu-Leu-Glu-His-Pro-Val-Leu (MW = 1,145.75 Da), respectively. The oyster hydrolysate was tested for cell cytotoxicity on Vero (kidney epithelial cells of the African Green Monkey) and HT-29 (human colon carcinoma) cell lines. It was found that the hydrolysate did not show any cytotoxic effect for Vero cell lines and exerted a significant cytotoxic effect on HT-29 cell lines. We thus conclude that the anticancer and antioxidative hydrolysate from oyster (S. cucullata) may be useful ingredients in food and nutraceutical applications.     

Effect of N-stearoylethanolamine on the lipid peroxidation process and lipid composition of the rat liver in acute morphine intoxication

The effect of N-stearoylethanolamine (NSE) on the lipid peroxidation process, antioxidant enzymes activity, phospholipid and fatty acid content in the rat liver tissues under acute morphine administration was studied. It was shown that morphine administration (30 mg/kg of body weight) caused an increase of the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), alteration of antioxidant enzymes activity, decrease the protein level, quantity of total lipids and phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol esters; altered the content of some individual fatty acids. NSE administration (50 mg/kg of body weight) promoted normalization of the antioxidant enzymes activity and prevented the TBARS accumulation and decreased the total lipid and phospholipid quantity, increased the content of free and total cholesterol, corrected the level of free and individual fatty acids. It was assumed that NSE possessed antioxidative, membranoprotective and adaptive properties.     

Investigation of Antioxidant Interactions between Radix Astragali and Cimicifuga foetida and Identification of Synergistic Antioxidant Compounds

The medicinal plants of Huang-qi (Radix Astragali) and Sheng-ma (Cimicifuga foetida) demonstrate significantly better antioxidant effects when used in combination than when used alone. However, the bioactive components and interactional mechanism underlying this synergistic action are still not well understood. In the present study, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay was employed to investigate the antioxidant capacity of single herbs and their combination with the purpose of screening synergistic antioxidant compounds from them. Chromatographic isolation was performed on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 columns and HPLC, and consequently to yield formononetin, calycosin, ferulic acid and isoferulic acid, which were identified by their retention time, UV λ_max, MS and MS/MS data. The combination of isoferulic acid and calycosin at a dose ratio of 1∶1 resulted in significant synergy in scavenging DPPH radicals and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Furthermore, the protective effects of these four potential synergistic compounds were examined using H₂O₂-induced HepG2 Cells bioassay. Results revealed that the similar synergy was observed in the combination of isoferulic acid and calycosin. These findings might provide some theoretical basis for the purported synergistic efficiency of Huang-qi and Sheng-ma as functional foods, dietary supplements and medicinal drugs.     

Identification of Predominant Phytochemical Compounds and Cytotoxic Activity of Wild Olive Leaves (Olea europaea L. ssp. sylvestris) Harvested in South Portugal

This study has been aimed at providing a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of selected phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, oleuropein, fatty acids profile, and volatile oil compounds, present in wild olive leaves harvested in Portugal, as well as at determining their antioxidant and cytotoxic potential against human melanoma HTB‐140 and WM793, prostate cancer DU‐145 and PC‐3, hepatocellular carcinoma Hep G2 cell lines, as well as normal human skin fibroblasts BJ and prostate epithelial cells PNT2. Gallic, protocatechuic, p‐hydroxybenzoic, vanillic acids, apigenin 7‐O‐glucoside, luteolin 7‐O‐glucoside, and rutin were identified in olive leaves. The amount of oleuropein was equal to 22.64 g/kg dry weight. (E)‐Anethole (32.35%), fenchone (11.89%), and (Z)‐3‐nonen‐1‐ol (8%) were found to be the main constituents of the oil volatile fraction, whereas palmitic, oleic, and alpha‐linolenic acid were determined to be dominating fatty acids. Olive leaves methanol extract was observed to exerted a significant, selective cytotoxic effect on DU‐145 and PC‐3 cell lines. Except the essential oil composition, evaluated wild olive leaves, with regard to their quantitative and qualitative composition, do not substantially differ from the leaves of other cultivars grown for industrial purposes and they reveal considerable antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. Thus, the wild species may prove to be suitable for use in traditional medicine as cancer chemoprevention.     

Antioxidant Activity of Antiviral Proteins from Celosia cristata

The antioxidant activity test of Celosia cristata antiviral proteins (CCP-25 and CCP-27) using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay in vitro indicated that these proteins are strong antioxidants. The increase in activities of redox-enzymes such as peroxidase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase on tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) inoculation of test plants, was inhibited when plants were treated with CCP-25 before TMV inoculation. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, involved in biosynthesis of antioxidative compounds was also inhibited. This is the first ever report where plant antiviral proteins have been shown to have strong antioxidative property. A possible correlation between antioxidant activity of CCPs and their antiviral activity is speculated.     

Antioxidant,Antibacterial and Antischistosomal Activities of Extracts from Grateloupia livida (Harv). Yamada

The present study was designated to evaluate the antioxidant, antibacterial and antischistosomal activities of Grateloupia livida (GL) extracts in vitro. A GL Ethanol extract (EE) was separated into petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA), n-butyl alcohol (BuOH) and aqueous (AQ) fractions to fractionate the polar and non-polar compounds in the EE. Extracts antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro by DPPH radical-scavenging, deoxyribose radical scavenging, and β-carotene bleaching assays, all using butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as the reference antioxidant compound. The most effective antioxidant properties were observed in the PE fraction in all three assays. Antimicrobial testing showed that the PE fraction exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with the PE fraction also exhibiting strong activity against the human pathogenic trematode S. japonicum adult worm. In order to investigate the relationships between bioactivity and chemical composition, the chemical composition of the PE fraction was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In total, 25 components were identified in the PE fraction, most of which have known antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. However, none of the compounds have reported activity against Schistosoma, suggesting that the schistosomicidal activity of the PE fraction may be related to minor constituents present in the extract, or governed by more intricate synergistic or additive relationships. Finally, fractions with the greatest biological activity displayed neither cellular cytotoxicity, at concentrations up to 100 ug/ml, or acute oral toxicity in mice, at doses up to 2000 mg/kg. Based on antioxidant, antimicrobial, antischistosomal activities, and low toxicity, the PE fraction possesses properties useful for food preservation and overall improvement of human health.     

Phytochemical Screening,Antioxidant Assay and Cytotoxic Profile for Different Extracts of Chrysopogon zizanioides Roots

The Chrysopogon zizanioides plant possesses multiple traditional uses, especially in therapeutics, but only a few articles have reported its biological activity. Hence, the present study was planned to explore the phytochemical constituents, cytotoxic potential, radical scavenging activity, and GC/MS (Gas chromatography & Mass spectrometry) analysis of the vetiver root extracts. The roots extracted with different solvents exhibited more significant phytochemical constituents in polar solvents in comparison to non-polar ones, favoring the extraction of a greater number of components in highly polar solvents. All the extracts were tested for their cytotoxicity using SRB (Sulforhodamine B) assay. They confirmed ethanolic extract as a potent extract with GI₅₀ 56±0.5 μg/ml in oral cancer (SCC-29B) along with no cytotoxicity in healthy cells (Vero cells), making it a safer therapeutic option in comparison to standard Adriamycin. This extract was also analyzed for its antioxidant potential by DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay with IC₅₀ value 10.73 μg/ml, which was quite comparable to Ascorbic acid having IC₅₀ value 4.61 μg/ml. The quantitative analysis of ethanolic extract exhibited 107 compounds amongst which Khusenic acid, Ascorbic acid, Junipen, gamma-Himachalene, alpha-Guaiene were the majorly occurring compounds that can be explored further for their cytotoxic activity.     

Artemisia: a promising plant for the treatment of cancer

Due to the promising features of the ancient herbal plant Artemisia, its biologic activity has been investigated for use in modern medicine. In this regard, Artemisia and its active phytochemicals have been introduced as having antimalarial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antispasmodic, anthelmintic, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents. In the case of cancer treatment, the plant species and its bioactive compounds target multiple pathways. Here we reviewed the scientific literature published up until 2018, which have explained the cytotoxic activity of the Artemisia species and their constituents. This review summarizes the published data found in PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus. Here, studies about the cytotoxicity and antitumor action on cancer cells and tumor bearing animals are discussed. Also, detailed molecular pathways affected by the plant and the phytochemistry of the cytotoxic active components are presented. Among all species and chemical constituents, the active ones have been selected and discussed in detail. The cytotoxic comparison made here may open a window for future works and selection of agents for cancer chemotherapy.     

Antioxidant properties and phenolic profiling by UPLC-QTOF-MS of Ajwah,Safawy and Sukkari cultivars of date palm

Date palm (P. dactylifera) plays a vital role in ethnomedicinal practices in several parts of the world. There are over 2000 cultivars of date palm that differ in chemical composition and extent of bioactivity. The present study was undertaken to comparatively evaluate the antioxidant potential of three cultivars of date palm (Ajwah, Safawy and Sukkari) from Saudi Arabia and analyze their phenolic constituents in order to draw a rationale for their activity. Antioxidant activities of the date cultivars were evaluated by different quantitative methods including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and tannin content (TTC), while qualitative phenolic composition was determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadropole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). All the three date extracts showed good DPPH radical scavenging (IC₅₀ 103–177 μg/mL) and hydroxyl radical scavenging (IC₅₀ 1.1–1.55 mg/mL) activity and total antioxidant capacity (IC₅₀ 87–192 μg/mL). The reducing power was also comparable to that of ascorbic acid, used as standard in above experiments. All the three samples contain significant amount of major antioxidant components (phenolic, flavonoid and tannin) that successfully correlates with the results of radical scavenging assays. UPLC-QTOF-MS revealed a total of 22 compounds in these date cultivars classified into common phenolics, flavonoids, sterols and phytoestrogens. Significant variation in the degree of antioxidant activity of these three date cultivars can be attributed to the difference in the content and composition of phenolic compounds.     

Novel indole-based melatonin analogues substituted with triazole,thiadiazole and carbothioamides: studies on their antioxidant,chemopreventive and cytotoxic activities

Melatonin (MLT) is a well-known free-radical scavenger, involving in the prevention of cellular damage that can lead to cancer, ageing and a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Research on MLT-related compounds has been required to optimise the maximum pharmaceutical activity with the lowest side effects. In our ongoing research, we have synthesized new indole-based MLT analogues as potential antioxidant agents by modifying the MLT molecule. In this study, we build on previous findings, through the synthesis, characterization and in vitro antioxidant profiling of a series of new indole-based MLT analogues which possess triazole, thiadiazole and carbothioamides on the third position on the indole ring. In vitro antioxidant activity was investigated by evaluating their reducing effect against oxidation of a redox sensitive fluorescent probe and their radical scavenging activity was assessed via the DPPH assay. In addition, in vitro cytotoxic effects of newly synthesized compounds were investigated in CHO-K1 cells using the MTT assay.     

Polyphenolic compounds in the fruits of Egyptian medicinal plants (Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia horrida): Characterization, quantitation and determination of antioxidant capacities

Thirty-four polyphenolic substances in methanol extracts of the fruits of Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia horrida, three plants used in Egyptian folk medicine, were initially identified by HPLC-ESI-MS and quantitated by analytical HPLC after column chromatography on Sephadex LH-20. After purification by semi-preparative HPLC the compounds were identified by their mass and fragmentation patterns using ESI-MS-MS. For several compounds detailed ¹H/¹³C NMR analysis at 600 MHz was performed. Two polyphenolics, namely 4-O-(4″-O-galloyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl)ellagic acid and 4-O-(3″,4″-di-O-galloyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl)ellagic acid were identified by NMR. Antioxidant capacities of the raw fruit extracts and the major isolated substances were determined using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) in vitro assays and indicated that chebulic ellagitannins have high activity which may correlate with high potential as cancer chemopreventive agents. Therefore, further studies (metabolism, bioavailability and toxicity) of the polyphenolics in Terminalia species using preclinical models and in vivo human intervention trials are warranted.     

Total phenolics concentration and antioxidant potential of extracts of medicinal plants of Pakistan

Thirty-seven plant organs, traditionally used as drugs, collected in Pakistan, were extracted with 70% acetone and analyzed for their total phenolics concentration and antioxidant potential. Seven extracts showed more than 85% inhibition of lipid peroxidation in vitro as compared with blank. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (IC50 = 233.6 microg/l +/- 28.3) was the strongest antioxidant in our test system. The IC50 results indicate that the extracts of Nymphaea lotus L. flowers, Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Delile beans, Terminalia belerica Roxb. fruits, and Terminalia chebula Retz. (fruits, brown) were stronger antioxidants than alpha-tocopherol, while Terminalia chebula Retz. (fruit coat), Terminalia chebula Retz. (fruits, black) and Ricinus communis L. leaves were weaker antioxidant extracts than alpha-tocopherol and BHT. Total phenolics concentration, expressed as gallic acid equivalents, showed close correlation with the antioxidant activity. High performance liquid chromatographic analysis with diode array detection at 280 nm, of the seven extracts indicated the presence of hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonol aglycones and their glycosides as main phenolics compounds. This information, based on quick screening methods, enables us to proceed towards more detailed chemical and pharmacological understanding of these plant materials.