Peroxyl Radical Scavenging Ability of Fifty Kinds of Chinese Medicines Determined by an ESR Spin-Trapping Technique

Abstract

The peroxyl radical scavenging abilities of fifty Chinese herbal medicines were determined accurately by an electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline 1-oxide (DMPO) as a spin-trapping reagent. The peroxyl radical was generated by the thermolysis reaction of 2,2’-Azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) in the presence of the spin-tap DMPO and with or without sample. As a result of these studies, a strong scavenging ability of peroxyl radical was found in Chinese medicines for diseases of anti-aging and blood circulation.