ISSN: 2578-4986
Authors: Madhuranga HDT* and Samarakoon DNAW
The study of antioxidants and their implications in numerous sectors, from food engineering to medicine and pharmacy, is of great interest to the scientific community. The presence of free radicals in the body has been linked to various human diseases. Fortunately, antioxidants can counteract these harmful molecules and reduce their negative impact. This highlights the importance of researching natural antioxidants found in plants. Free radicals are closely tied to the development of conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart and neurological disorders. Exploring plants could lead to the discovery of new bioactive compounds with strong antioxidant properties. Natural resources, particularly herbs, have played a significant role in traditional medicine, benefiting the development of modern medical treatments. Throughout history, plants have been a valuable source of healing remedies. However, no scientific attempt has been made to verify the spontaneous uses claimed in the literature. As a result, to perform more studies and collect more data, scientists need to find low-cost, simple in vitro approaches to test the efficacy of natural anti-oxidant substances. On such background, this methodology focuses on providing the three basic antioxidant assays previously utilized by the researchers to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of herbs, plants, etc. By providing these clear methodologies, young scientists and new scholars can get a brief idea of the antioxidant assays and then which can be utilized productively. Therefore, the current paper gives a detailed overview of the most important tests used to quantify antioxidant activity. Three key antioxidant assays are highlighted here: the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl- hydrate) assay, the FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power) assay, and the H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide free radical scavenging activity assay) and dependable with minor alterations.
Keywords: Anti-Oxidant; DPPH; FRAP; H2O2; In-vitro; Methodology
