Comprehensive assessment of antioxidant activity of essential oils.

Unlabelled: Essential oils have been studied for their unique ability to act as antioxidants. Antioxidant activities of 423 essential oils of 48 different botanical families were evaluated for their antioxidant activities as free radical scavenging agents using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl method. Seventy-three oils showed 50% or more inhibition at a concentration of 1.

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of essential oils.

Introduction: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen free radicals are produced during immune activity, and are triggered by several environmental factors such as pollution, smoke, and sunlight. Harmful effects of these reactive species include cellular damage to RNA, DNA, proteins and lipids. In humans several diseases including those connected with the heart, lung, and the eye are associated with the accumulation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS).