Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-2-2013

School/College

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)

Degree Name

MS in Chemistry

First Advisor

Mahmoud A. Saleh

Abstract

Antioxidants are compounds that can inhibit free radicals. Herbal medicine is the oldest form of health care known to mankind. Herbal medicines have great importance in maintaining the health of every person. Demands of Herbal medicines are increasing in both developed and developing countries due to growing recognition of natural plants being lesser or of no side effect, easily available in surrounding place with low cost. Different parts of the plant have different active constituents and these active constituents may vary in their extent of activity and concentration. Most of active principles are existing in leaves, root and seeds of the plant. Certain herbs have become popular over the last twenty years, but herbal medicine is still poorly understood by the public, medical practitioners and the media. Africa is not left behind most of the world in this endeavor of utilizing herbal medicine. Dodonaea viscosa is often used traditionally to treat many diseases like fever, cold, malaria, rheumatism, aches, toothaches, headaches, indigestion, ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, dysmenorrheal and irregular menstruation. The plant is 1 2 reported to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, steroids, triterpenoids, phytosterols and volatile oil. This research was aimed at describing the medicinal uses, phytochemical components and other important aspects of the plant. The present study focus on antioxidant activity of Dodonaea viscosa, it also reveals that this plant is of therapeutic potential due to their high free-radical scavenging activity. Phytochemical is chemicals that occurs naturally in plants, some are responsible for color and others for organoleptic properties as the aspects of food or other substances as experienced by the sense, including taste, sight, smell and touch. They are found in plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. They also contain molecules that inhibit the oxidation of other molecules and oxidation chemical reaction produce free radicals. In turn, these free radicals can start a chain reaction, and when the chain reactions occur in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell (e.g. cell membrane contains lipids first defense in the body, if its damage the immune system is compromised). Antioxidant is to terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates and inhibit oxidation reaction

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