<i>In Vitro</i> Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Twenty-two Ethiopian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

The current study has been carried out to assess the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the 80% ethanolic extracts of 22 traditionally used Ethiopian medicinal plants. Among the tested plants, Dodonaea angustifolia, Rumex nervosus, Carrisa spinarum, Pentas schimperiana, and Clerodendrum myricoides displayed good DPPH radical scavenging potential with IC₅₀ values of 15.0, 26.9, 58.3, 62.5, and 78.8 µg/ml, respectively. Similarly, Dovyalis abyssinica, D. angustifolia, Rumex abyssinicus, and R. nervosus showed strong oxidative burst inhibitory potential with IC₅₀ values of 10.2, 19.4, 24.8, 35.8 μg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, D. angustifolia and R. nervosus showed strong reactive oxygen species inhibitory activities.  The results of this study showed the potential use of herbal products as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents and provided scientific backing for utilizing these herbal preparations.