ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE HERBAL COMPOSITION ‘HEXAFIT’

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of herbal medications in order to develop a drug for the treatment of hepatobiliary disorders. We measured total antioxidant activity of the herbal composition ‘Hexafit’ containing flowers of Helichrysum arenarium L. and Tanacetum vulgare L., fruits of Rosa sp., leaves of Urtica dioica L. and mint Mentha piperita L., roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and its individual components using coulometric titration. The antioxidant activity of "Hexafit" at a previously established dose of 250 mg/kg was evaluated under experimental conditions of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatitis; free radical lipid oxidation was assessed using a chemiluminescent assay. We found that that this herbal composition with choleretic action and the plants included in it have antioxidant activity in vitro. For the first time, the experiment demonstrated a synergistic effect of the total antioxidant activity of the composition. We revealed that pharmacotherapy of experimental hepatitis in rats with ‘Hexafit’ ensured a significant decrease in the chemiluminometric parameters of lipids that characterize the intensity of free radical reactions. ‘Hexafit’ has a pronounced inhibitory effect on hyperlipoperoxidemia in the liver of animals with toxic damage. The antioxidant activity of herbal medications can be successfully used for the treatment and prevention of hepatobiliary disorders.

Keywords

• herbal medicines
• antioxidant activity
• coulometric analysis
• chemiluminescent analysis of lipids