In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Camellia japonica L

Antioxidant activities of acetone and methanol extracts from stems and leaves of Camellia japonica L, one of traditional Chinese medicine consumed in the eastnorth region of China, were examined by a DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging assay and a β-carotene-linoleic acid test. In the DPPH system, the antioxidant activity of the acetone extracts was superior to that of the methanol extracts, with IC50 values were 246.56 and 320.17μg/mL, respectively. In the β-carotene-linoleic acid test, the inhibition ratio of the acetone extracts was found to be the higher, compared with the methanol extracts, with IC50 values were 258.19 and 396.88 μg/mL In general, the methanol extract showed greater activity than the acetone extract in both systems, such results might be attributed to the effects of the components of the methanol extract. It was concluded that Camellia japonica L might be a potential natural source of antioxidants.