Superoxide Scavenging Activities of Sixty Chinese Medicines Determined by an ESR Spin-Trapping Method Using Electrogenerated Superoxide

Superoxide-scavenging activities of 60 kinds of Chinese harbal medicines were determined accurately by an electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline 1-oxide (DMPO) as a spin-trapping reagent. As a source of superoxide in this method, superoxide generated by one-electron reduction of the oxygen molecule in dimethyl sulfoxide solution was used. As a result of these studies, very powerful scavenging activity was found in Chinese medicines for inflammation, diseases of blood circulation and for tumors.