M. RAMA RAO, I. BHASKAR REDDY, S.V. RAJAGOPAL, B.V. RAMAN AND T. RAMANA
Abstract
The commercial development of plants as sources of antioxidants to enhance health and for food preservation is of current interest. Epidemiological studies have suggested positive association between the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods and the prevention of diseases. The present study focuses on assessing the levels of various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the leaf, flower and stem extracts of OCiMUM baSiiiCUM. This study has revealed that the total antioxidant activity and enzymatic antioxidants namely superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, ascorbate oxidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C are predominant in the aqueous leaf extracts of 0. basilicum. The leaf extracts of 0. basilicum exhibited maximum inhibition (42%) of iron induced in vitro lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes.