Evaluation of antioxidant, antimutagenic, and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activities of selected fractions of Holarrhena floribunda (G. Don) leaves.

Exposure to environmental pollutants often leads to an upsurge in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS oxidize cellular fatty acids to produce lipid peroxyl radicals, subsequently transformed into lipid peroxides, which decrease membrane fluidity and increase the activity of various enzymes implicated in degenerative diseases and cancer formation. Edible plants that contain exogenous compounds like curcumeroid, β-carotene, turmeric, and so on, protect the aerobic cells from oxidation of free radicals.