Biological Activities of Extracts from Corni fructus, Astragalus membranaceus and Glycyrrhiza uralensis

Objectives : This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidative and anticancer activity of the water and ethanol extracts from medicinal herbs. Methods : Three kinds of medicinal herbs(Corni fructus, Astragalus membranaceus and Glycyrrhiza uralensis) were extracted with distilled water and 70% ethanol, and the extracts were tested for their antioxidative and anticancer activities. Results : The highest polyphenol contents of the water and ethanol extracts from medicinal herbs were 342.14 mg and 435.62 mg per 100 g of Cornus officinalis, respectively. The highest electron donating abilities (EDA) of the water and ethanol extracts from Glycyrrhiza uralensis were 88% and 91% at 1,000 ppm, respectively. The water and ethanol extracts from Astragalus membranaceus had the highest nitrite scavenging abilities (NSA) at 1,000 ppm. The highest anticancer activity of the extracts were from Glycyrrhiza uralensis against both of MDA and A549 cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that the medicinal herbs can be used as natural antioxidant to prevent oxidative damage in normal cells probably because of their antioxidant characteristics.