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Review Article
Antioxidant Potential of Ethiopian Medicinal Plants and Their
Phytochemicals: A Review of Pharmacological Evaluation
Gashaw Nigussie ,
1
,
2
Abolghasem Siyadatpanah,
3
Roghayeh Norouzi,
4
Eyob Debebe ,
1
,
2
Mekdelawit Alemayehu,
1
and Aman Dekebo
2
,
5
1
Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2
Department of Applied Chemistry, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia
3
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad
University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
4
Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
5
Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia
Correspondence should be addressed to Gashaw Nigussie; gashawnigussie20@gmail.com and Aman Dekebo;
amandeke@gmail.com
Received 22 February 2023; Revised 11 July 2023; Accepted 19 September 2023; Published 12 October 2023
Academic Editor: Rajeev K. Singla
Copyright ©2023 Gashaw Nigussie et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
Background. Free radicals are very reactive molecules produced during oxidation events that in turn initiate a chain reaction
resulting in cellular damage. Many degenerative diseases in humans, including cancer and central nervous system damage, are
caused by free radicals. Scientic evidence indicates that active compounds from natural products can protect cells from free
radical damage. As a result, the aim of this review is to provide evidence of the use of diverse Ethiopian medicinal plants with
antioxidant properties that have been scientically validated in order to draw attention and foster further investigations in this
area. Methods. e keywords antioxidant, radical scavenging activities, reactive oxygen species, natural product, Ethiopian
Medicinal plants, and 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH) were used to identify relevant data in the
major electronic scientic databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Medline, and Science domain. All articles
with descriptions that were accessed until November 2022 were included in the search strategy. Results. A total of 54 plant species
from 33 families were identied, along with 46 compounds isolated. More scientic studies have been conducted on plant species
from the Brassicaceae (19%), Asphodelaceae (12%), and Asteraceae (12%) families. e most used solvent and extraction method
for plant samples are methanol (68%) and maceration (88%). e most examined plant parts were the leaves (42%). Plant extracts
(56%) as well as isolated compounds (61%) exhibited signicant antioxidant potential. e most eective plant extracts from
Ethiopian ora were Bersama abyssinica,Solanecio gigas,Echinops kebericho,Verbascum sinaiticum,Apium leptophyllum, and
Crinum abyssinicum. e best oxidative phytochemicals were Rutin (7), Flavan-3-ol-7-O-glucoside (8), Myricitrin (13), Myr-
icetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (14), 7-O-Methylaloeresin A (15), 3-Hydroxyisoagatholactone (17), β-Sitosterol-3-O-β-D-
glucoside (22), Microdontin A/B (24), and Caeic acid (39). Conclusion. Many crude extracts and compounds exhibited sig-
nicant antioxidant activity, making them excellent candidates for the development of novel drugs. However, there is a paucity of
research into the mechanisms of action as well as clinical evidence supporting some of these isolated compounds. To fully
authenticate and then commercialize, further investigation and systematic analysis of these antioxidant-rich species are required.
1. Introduction
e generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free
radicals during metabolism is a natural activity that is
adequately compensated for by an elaborate endogenous an-
tioxidant defense mechanism [1]. Oxidative stress results from
the overproduction of free radicals and an imbalance in their
elimination. In diseases including cancer, cardiovascular
Hindawi
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2023, Article ID 1901529, 17 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1901529
disease, inammatory disease, and cataract development, ox-
idative damage at the cellular or subcellular level is now
considered a major event. Reactive oxygen radicals exert an
adverse eect on cells due to their ability to promote lipid
peroxidation in cellular membranes, which results in lipid
peroxides that severely damage membranes and cause chro-
mosomal damage through membrane contact [2, 3]. Hydrogen
peroxide, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radicals are examples
of oxygen free radicals that have been linked to the develop-
ment of several pathological disorders, including diabetes,
atherosclerosis, ischemia, and inammatory diseases. In many
cases, the rst stage of these disorders is endothelial cell
damage. ese oxidants can be immediately scavenged by the
antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase
(CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), which are present
intracellular or released into the extracellular milieu. ey can
also prevent these oxidants from becoming toxic species. It is
well known that ROS and reactive metabolic intermediates
produced by dierent chemical carcinogens play a signicant
role in cell damage as well as the beginning and development of
carcinogenesis. In recent decades, there has been a growing
understanding of the connection between nutrition and
chronic diseases, particularly cancer and cardiovascular dis-
orders. Many degenerative diseases, including cancer, cataract,
type 2 diabetes, neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases,
and inammatory diseases, as well as the natural aging process,
are now thought to be primarily caused by oxidative stress.
Consequently, there is currently a lot of interest in the potential
role of natural antioxidants in delaying or suppressing oxi-
dative stress [4, 5]. Exogenous antioxidants need to be con-
sumed or taken as supplements to maintain the body’s
endogenous antioxidant system. It has been appreciated that
both nutrient and non-nutrient-rich diet components have
antioxidant capabilities and consequent potential benets.
ere has been a growing interest in natural antioxidants found
abundantly in plants [6, 7]. Since the dawn of human civili-
zation, medicinal plants have been identied and customarily
used throughout the world [8, 9].
Medicinal plants are a rich source of novel drugs that
form the ingredients in traditional systems of medicine
[10, 11]. Most developing countries rely on traditional
medicinal plants for their healthcare. erefore, it should
come as no surprise that some of these plants contain
chemical compounds that have therapeutic potential and
could be utilized to treat serious diseases like malaria, cancer,
and pathogenic microbes [12]. According to studies, more
than 80% of Ethiopians use plant-based traditional medicine
as their primary healthcare system. is high adoption rate
can be largely ascribed to the fact that it draws on locally
accessible wild plant resources [13, 14]. is is in part be-
cause the vast majority of rural residents cannot access
modern medical services because of their high cost, lack of
transportation, and scarcity of healthcare centers [15].
However, the limited number of medicinal plants has been
the focus of the available reviews on the antioxidant po-
tential of Ethiopian natural products [16]. In spite of this,
there is a paucity of comprehensive ethnopharmacological
research review on Ethiopian antioxidant medicinal herbs.
is review examined the phytochemistry of the plants used
in traditional Ethiopian medicine as well as numerous in-
vestigations that have been done to scientically validate
their antioxidant potential. is evaluation may pave the
way for additional complementary studies as well as the
development of some readily available and aordable an-
tioxidant phytomedicines, in line with the objectives of the
WHO’s “Traditional Medicine Strategy” [17].
2. Methodology
is review was compiled from various databases, in-
cluding Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Medline,
and Science domain from September 2022 to November
2022, to identify natural products from Ethiopian ora and
fauna with antioxidant potential. Each database search was
done independently. Until November 2022, original studies
about antioxidant plants that were published in peer-
reviewed journals were included in the study databases.
e keywords antioxidant, radical scavenging activities,
antiaging principles, reactive oxygen species, free radicals,
natural product, 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical
scavenging assay (DPPH), and reducing properties were
used to identify relevant data. All valuable data previously
published in English have been gathered. e reviewers
found relevant articles and gathered the following in-
formation from them: plant species, plant family, parts of
the plant used, extraction methods, extraction solvent, IC
50
values, and isolated compounds.
2.1. Categorization of Antioxidant Activities. For evaluating
the in vitro antioxidant potencies of natural compounds and
extracts, many techniques have been developed. ese
techniques are based on two important chemical processes:
electron transfer reactions and hydrogen atom reactions.
Electron transfer reactions are used to measure the following
parameters to determine the antioxidant potencies of ex-
tracts and compounds using hydrogen atom transfer
mechanisms: ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP),
diphenyl-2-picryl-hydroxyl radical scavenging assay
(DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC),
hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, superoxide anion radical
scavenging assay, and nitric oxide radical scavenging [18].
Despite the recent increase in interest in antioxidant studies,
it has been dicult to evaluate research ndings from
various research groups due to a lack of standardized assays
[19]. To increase the reliability of the antioxidant results,
more than one protocol was used, and the antioxidant
potencies of natural products reviewed in this study were
classied into three groups based on previous studies: high
or signicant antioxidant capacity with IC
50
<50 g/mL
(extract) or IC
50
<10 g/mL (compounds), moderate anti-
oxidant capacity with 50 <IC
50
<100 g/mL (extract) or
10 <IC
50
<20 g/mL (compounds), and low antioxidant
capacity with IC
50
>100 g/mL (extract) or IC
50
>20 g/mL
(compounds) [16, 20]. All activity data were converted to
IC
50
values in g/mL.
2Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
3. Result and Discussion
3.1. Promising Antioxidant Medicinal Plants from the Ethi-
opian Flora. e in vitro antioxidant activities of extracts
from 54 plant species from 33 plant families were identied
.Table 1 provides a summary of the plant species that were
tested, their family, the portions of the plants that were
utilized to generate the test samples, the solvent used during
the extraction process, the assay methods, and their po-
tencies based on the categorization/protocol used. is
shows that Ethiopia has a diverse ora and that numerous
people use several plant species for medicinal purposes [59].
Asteraceae 6 (19%), Brassicaceae 4 (12%), and Asphodela-
ceae 4 (12%) are the three plant families with the greatest
antioxidant activity studied in Ethiopia (Figure 1 and
Table 1).
e aforementioned family, which can be found in every
oristic region of the country, may be the subject of this
account [60]. Leaves 24 (42%) and roots 15 (26%) are the
most investigated parts (Figure 2). is study indicates that
using leaves for studies is crucial for medicinal plant con-
servation since, unlike with roots or whole plant collections,
leaf harvesting may not be harmful to plants [61, 62].
Maceration (88%) is one of the most used plant sample
extraction methods. Perhaps this is because solvent extraction,
or more specically, maceration, is one of the most popular
and straightforward techniques for isolating plant antioxi-
dants [63, 64]. Methanol is the most popular extraction
solvent, although more polar solvents such as water and
ethanol are frequently recommended in traditional prepara-
tions [65]. Surprisingly, in most studies, methanol (68%) plant
extracts correlated with the antioxidant activity of the plant
species studied. is is advantageous because it permits
medicinal substances to absorb through the stomach lumen
into the circulatory system, where they are required, following
Lipinski’s rules of 5 [66]. erefore, active substances function
through cell surface receptors, with polar components oering
therapeutically signicant potency in vivo. e antioxidant
potential of plant extracts from 30 plants was signicant (56%)
(IC
50
<50 g/mL). e antioxidant activity of eight plant
extracts was moderate (15%), with IC
50
values ranging from 50
to 100 g/mL. With IC
50
values greater than 100 g/mL, 14
plant extracts showed low (26%) antioxidant activities,
whereas two plant extracts exhibited both signicant and
moderate (2%) antioxidant activities. is implies that Ethi-
opian medicinal herbs were found to have strong antioxidant
properties, indicating that, if thoroughly examined, they
might produce valuable pharmaceutical drugs for the treat-
ment of oxidative stress disease.
3.2. Promising Antioxidant Phytochemicals Derived from the
Ethiopian Flora. More than 40 compounds from dierent
chemical classes have so far been found in Ethiopian medicinal
plants. Flavonoids 15 (32%), terpenoids 7 (15%), and organic
acids 7 (15%) are the main components isolated from diverse
plant species (Figure 3 and Table 2). Serial extraction, bioassay-
guided extraction, successive fractionation using various po-
larity solvents, and column chromatography are the tech-
niques used to isolate novel compounds for the plants of the
species. e rising interest in using traditional medicine as an
alternative and complementary therapy is encouraging
activity-guided bioactive compound isolation to gain attention
at the moment [70].
e signicant (IC
50
<10 g/mL) antioxidant potential
of 29 compounds was 61%. With IC
50
values ranging from 10
to 20 g/mL, the antioxidant activity of 5 compounds was
moderate (11%), and one compound exhibited both sig-
nicant and moderate (3%) antioxidant activities, while 12
compounds with IC
50
values higher than 20 g/mL exhibited
low antioxidant activity (25%). e root of the plant species
was frequently considered for investigation.
3.2.1. Flavonoids. From ten plant species, 15 compounds
(1–15) were isolated. Table 2 summarizes them, and Figure 4
depicts their chemical structures. e most eective com-
pounds were Rutin (7) from Cineraria abyssinica’s aqueous
and methanol leaf extracts, Flavan-3-ol-7-O-glucoside (8)
from Hydnora johannis’ CH
2
Cl
2
/MeOH (1 : 1) root extracts,
and 7-O-Methylaloeresin A (15) from Aloe harlana’s leaf
latex, with IC
50
values of 3.53, 0.19, and 0.014 g/mL, re-
spectively [29, 31, 68]. Flavonoids are the most abundant
naturally occurring phenolic compounds well known for
their antioxidant properties (Figure 5), which help in the
prevention of a number of diseases including cancer, car-
diovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases [71–74].
As a result, the presence of these signicant compounds and
the powerful antioxidant potential they exhibited indicate
that, if rigorously screened, these compounds could provide
medications of pharmaceutical relevance from those species.
3.2.2. Terpenoids. Terpenoids represent the largest group of
plant secondary metabolites [75]. ere are tens of thousands
of naturally occurring hydrocarbons, making them one of the
classes of natural compounds with the most structural di-
versity. Terpenoids are categorized as hemiterpenes (C
5
),
monoterpenes (C
10
), sesquiterpenes (C
15
), diterpenes (C
20
),
triterpenes (C
30
), tetraterpenes or carotenoids (C
40
), and
polyterpenes (C
n,n
>40) [75]. Numerous studies indicated
that terpenoids and their derivatives exhibited antioxidant
and antiaging properties (Figure 5), which help in the pre-
vention of a number of diseases including cancer, cardio-
vascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases [76–78]. Six
plant species from Ethiopia’s ora were studied for their
antioxidant compounds. Seven compounds (16–22) were
isolated, and 17,18,21, and 22 of those compounds dem-
onstrated signicant antioxidant properties with IC
50
values
of 6.05, 2.72, 0.3, and 0.014 g/mL, respectively (Table 2 and
Figure 4). e most eective compound (22), which is in line
with the previous investigation, has been reported in the
literature for its antioxidant activity [79–81].
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3
Table 1: Antioxidant potential of plant extracts from Ethiopian ora.
Plant Family Plant part
investigated Extraction method Solvents Assay
methods Inhibition/IC
50
Antioxidant
potential Ref
Hypoestes forskaolii Acanthaceae Dried leaves Maceration Methanol DPPH 15.7 g/mL Signicant [21]
Achyranthes aspera Amaranthaceae Dried leaves Maceration Distilled water DPPH 13510 g/mL Low [22]
Amaranthus
hybridus Amaranthaceae Dried seeds Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 197.22 g/mL Low [23]
Crinum abyssinicum Amaryllidaceae Dried roots Maceration extraction DCM/methanol (1 : 1) DPPH 4.1 g/mL Signicant [24]
Apium leptophyllum Apiaceae Dried leaves Hydrodistillation Oil DPPH 4.3 l/mL Signicant [25]
Trachyspermum
ammi Apiaceae Dried seeds Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 74.4 g/mL Moderate [26]
Calotropis procera Apocynaceae Dried roots Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 4.3 g/mL Signicant [24]
Gomphocarpus
fruticosus Apocynaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Distilled water DPPH 1640 g/mL Low [22]
Dracaena
angustifolia Asparagaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 25.59 g/mL Signicant [27]
Aloe debrana Asphodelaceae Dried roots Simultaneous distillation
extraction Distilled water and CH
2
Cl
2
DPPH,
H
2
O
2
48.65 and 51.97 g/mL
respectively
Signicant,
moderate [28]
Aloe harlana Asphodelaceae Latex — — DPPH 14.21 g/mL Signicant [29]
Aloe pulcherrima Asphodelaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Distilled water DPPH 420 g/mL Low [22]
Aloe schelpei Asphodelaceae Leaves’ latex — — DPPH 25.3 g/mL Signicant [30]
Cineraria abyssinica Asteraceae Dried leaves Maceration Aqueous and methanol DPPH 6.73 and 5.78 g/mL Signicant [31]
Echinops kebericho Asteraceae Dried roots Maceration extraction Methanol crude extract and
acetone fraction DPPH 5.89 and 4.11 g/mL
respectively Signicant [32]
Haplocarpha
rueppelii Asteraceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 35.2 g/mL Signicant [23]
Haplocarpha
schimperi Asteraceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 64.52 g/mL Moderate [23]
Laggera tomentosa Asteraceae Dried roots Maceration extraction EtOAc, and MeOH DPPH 9.4 and 29 g/mL
respectively Signicant [33]
Solanecio gigas Asteraceae Dried stem bark Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 4.2 g/mL Signicant [34]
Brassica carinata Brassicaceae Dried seeds Maceration Methanol DPPH 5.85 mg/mL Signicant [35]
Eruca sativa Brassicaceae Dried leaves Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 150 g/mL Low [36]
Erucastrum
abyssinicum Brassicaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 100.58 g/mL Low [23]
Raphanus sativus Brassicaceae Dried leaves,
roots Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 160 and 450 g/mL
respectively Low [36]
Cucumis
prophetarum Cucurbitaceae Dried roots Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 28.9 g/mL Signicant [37]
Euclea racemosa Ebenaceae Dried leaves Soxhlet Acetone DPPH 11.3 g/mL Signicant [38]
Croton
macrostachyus Euphorbiaceae Dried root barks Maceration Ethanol DPPH 128.6 g/mL Low [39]
Albizia lebbeck Fabaceae Dried stem bark Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 156 g/mL Low [40]
Rhynchosia
ferruginea Fabaceae Dried roots Maceration extraction CH
2
Cl
2
/CH
3
OH DPPH 17.7 g/mL Signicant [41]
4Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Table 1: Continued.
Plant Family Plant part
investigated Extraction method Solvents Assay
methods Inhibition/IC
50
Antioxidant
potential Ref
Bersama abyssinica Francoaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction,
Soxhlet Methanol DPPH 5.35 and 7.5 g/mL Signicant [38, 42]
Salvia ocinalis Lamiaceae Dried aerial parts Hydrodistillation Oil DPPH 4.65 g/mL Signicant [43]
Satureja punctata Lamiaceae Dried aerial parts Maceration extraction Distilled water DPPH 10 g/mL Signicant [22]
ymus schimperi Lamiaceae Dried leaves Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 60.1 g/mL Moderate [26]
Cadia purpurea Leguminosae Dried roots Maceration extraction Ethanol DPPH 12.9 g/mL Signicant [44]
Termitomyces
schimperi Lyophyllaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 33.97 g/mL Signicant [27]
Hibiscus sabdaria Malvaceae Dried seeds,
calyces Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 430 and 140 g/mL Low [36]
Maesa lanceolata Myrsinaceae Dried leaves Maceration Methanol DPPH 76.7 g/mL Moderate [45]
Syzygium
aromaticum Myrtaceae Dried owers Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 303.56 g/mL Low [46]
Phytolacca
dodecandra Phytolaccaceae Dried roots Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 7.4 g/mL Signicant [47]
Piper capense Piperaceae Dried seeds Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 71.9 g/mL Moderate [26]
Plumbago zeylanica Plumbaginaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 53.14 g/mL Moderate [48]
Rumex nepalensis Polygonaceae Dried roots Maceration Ethanol DPPH 5.7 g/mL Signicant [49]
Cheilanthes farinosa Pteridaceae Dried aerial parts Soxhlet Methanol DPPH 52.5 g/mL Moderate [38]
Clematis hirsuta Ranunculaceae Dried roots Maceration Methanol DPPH 590 g/mL Low [50]
Clematis simensis Ranunculaceae Dried stem bark Maceration extraction Ethanol DPPH 42.35 mg/mL Signicant [51]
Nigella sativa Ranunculaceae Dried seeds Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 94.1 g/mL Moderate [26]
Ziziphus
spina-christi Rhamnaceae Dried fruits Soxhlet Methanol ABTS 15480 g/ml Low [52]
Hagenia abyssinica Rosaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 10.25 g/mL Signicant [53]
Rubus steudneri Rosaceae Dried roots Maceration Ethanol DPPH 5.8 g/mL Signicant [49]
Verbascum
sinaiticum Scrophulariaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 1.70 g/mL Signicant [54]
Datura stramonium Solanaceae Dried roots,
seeds Maceration Hydro methanol DPPH 13.47 and 11.95 g/mL Signicant [55, 56]
Gnidia involucrata ymelaeaceae Dried root barks Maceration extraction EtOAc, methanol DPPH 7.9 and 17.7 g/mL Signicant [57]
Urtica simensis Urticaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 165.89 g/mL Low [23]
Lippia adoensis Verbenaceae Dried leaves Maceration technique Methanol DPPH 49.2 g/mL Signicant [26]
Curcuma domestica Zingiberaceae Dried leaves Maceration extraction Methanol DPPH 96.98 g/mL Moderate [27]
Dried rhizome Hydrodistillation Oil DPPH 23.05 g/mL Signicant [58]
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 5
3.2.3. Anthraquinone. Anthraquinones, also known as an-
thracene diones or dioxoanthracenes, are signicant qui-
nones that make up a wide range of structurally dierent
compounds of the polyketide family. It is essentially an
organic compound that is aromatic. ere are around 700
members of this group in fungi, lichens, and plants [82].
Many of them possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-
inammatory, and antiviral properties [83, 84]. e
mechanism of action of anthraquinones’ antioxidant
properties is demonstrated in Figure 5. In Table 2, the most
promising recently discovered antioxidant anthraquinones
derived from Ethiopian ora have been included. ese
include Aloin (23), Microdontin A/B (24), Aloin A/B (25),
Aloinoside A/B (26), Chrysophanol (27), and Emodin (28),
whose chemical structures are depicted in Figure 4. Aloe
harlana (Asphodelaceae) [29], Aloe schelpei (Asphodelaceae)
[30], and Laggera tomentosa (Asteraceae) [33] species were
used to isolate the compounds. Compounds 24–26, which
had IC
50
values of 0.07, 0.15, and 0.13 g/mL, were isolated
from Aloe schelpei leaves’ latex and showed signicant an-
tioxidant activity [30]. Compounds 27 and 28 were obtained
by extracting the roots of Laggera tomentosa in methanol,
and they demonstrated signicant antioxidant activity, with
IC
50
values of 6.2 and 3.8 g/mL, respectively [33]. Com-
pound 23 was derived from the leaves’ latex of Aloe harlana,
but it only has low antioxidant properties, with an IC
50
value
of 41.84 g/mL [29].
3.2.4. Stilbenoids. Stilbenoids are a distinct class of phenolic
compounds with C
6
-C
2
-C
6
units as their basic structure [85].
Nowadays, natural stilbenoids are sold commercially as
nutraceuticals [85]. According to a recent review, stilbenoids
exhibited signicant biological eects, including antioxi-
dant, anti-inammatory, cardioprotective, neuroprotective,
antidiabetic, depigmentation, and cancer prevention and
treatment [86–88]. Table 2 shows the most promising an-
tioxidant stilbenoids from Ethiopian ora that have recently
been published. Figure 4 illustrates the chemical structures
of these compounds, which include ε-Viniferin (29), Trans-
Resveratrol (3 ), Gnetin (31), ε-Viniferin Diol (32), and
Parthenostilbenin (33). e compounds were isolated from
the roots of Cyphostemma cyphopetalum (Vitaceae), and
they demonstrated signicant antioxidant activity with IC
50
values ranging from 0.017 to 0.157 g/mL [69].
3.2.5. Alkaloids. Alkaloids are secondary metabolites that
were rst described as pharmacologically active molecules
largely made of nitrogen [89]. ey are formed from lysine,
tyrosine, and tryptophan, three of the few common amino
acids. Plants have been shown to contain more than 12,000
alkaloids, representing more than 150 families, and about
20% of the “species of owering plants” contain alkaloids
Brassicaceae
12% Ranuculaceace
9%
Lamiaceace
9%
Apiaceace
6%
Zingiberaceace
9%
Fabaceace
6%
Asphodelaceace
12%
Asteraceace
19%
Amaranthaceace
6%
Apocynaceace
6%
Rosaceace
6%
Figure 1: Percentage of the most well-investigated Ethiopian plant
families for antioxidant activity.
Leaves
42%
Roots
26%
Seeds
12%
Stems
5%
Calyces
2%
Rhizomes
2%
Aerial Parts
5% Latexs
2%
Flowers
2% Fruits
2%
Figure 2: Plant parts investigated for their antioxidant potential.
Flavonoids
32%
Terpe n o i d s
15%
Anthraquinones
13%
Stilbenoids
13%
Alkaloid
2%
Organic acids
15%
Xanthonoid
2%
Miscellaneous
8%
Figure 3: Percentage occurrence of antioxidant compounds iso-
lated from Ethiopian medicinal plants.
6Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Table 2: Antioxidant compounds isolated from Ethiopian ora.
Compounds Plant species Family Plant part
used Solvent used Isolation and
identication Method
Assay
method
IC
50
(g/
mL)
Antioxidant
potential Ref
Flavonoid
7, 2′-Dihydroxy-4′-methoxy-6-(3″, 3″-
dimethylallyl) isoavan (1)
Rhynchosia
ferruginea Fabaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
CH
3
OH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 32 Low [41]
7-Hydroxy-2′, 4′di-methoxy-8-(2‴, 3‴-
dihydroxy-3‴-methylbutyl)-5′- (3″, 3″-
dimethylallyl)
isoav-3-ene (2)
Rhynchosia
ferruginea Fabaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
CH
3
OH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 64.5 Low [41]
Robustaavone (3)Rhus ruspolii Anacardiaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC,NMR DPPH 7.90 Signicant [67]
3-(1-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3,3-bis(4-
hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropan-2-yl)-7-
methoxy-4H-chromone-4-one (4)
Rhus ruspolii Anacardiaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC,NMR DPPH 8.40 Signicant [67]
2′,4′,4″,2‴-Tetrahydroxy-4‴-methoxy-4-O-
5‴-bichalcone (5)Rhus ruspolii Anacardiaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC,NMR DPPH 10.8 Moderate [67]
Rhuschalcone I (6)Rhus ruspolii Anacardiaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC,NMR DPPH 26.03 Low [67]
Rutin (7)
Cineraria
abyssinica Asteraceae Leaves Aqueous and
methanol TLC, PTLC, NMR DPPH 3.53 Signicant [31]
Cheilanthes
farinosa Pteridaceae Aerial
parts Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 5.79 Signicant [38]
Euclea racemosa Ebenaceae Leaves Acetone TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 5.79 Signicant [38]
Flavan-3-ol-7-O-glucoside (8)Hydnora johannis Hydnoraceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.190 Signicant [68]
Hyperoside (9)Bersama abyssinica Francoaceae Leaves Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 10.49 Moderate [38]
Quercetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (1 )Bersama abyssinica Francoaceae Leaves Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 8.99 Signicant [38]
Quercetin-3-O-diglucosylrhamnoside (11)Cheilanthes
farinosa Pteridaceae Aerial
parts Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 11.59 Moderate [38]
Quercetrin (12)Euclea racemosa Ebenaceae Leaves Acetone TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 12.33 Moderate [38]
Myricitrin (13)Euclea racemosa Ebenaceae Leaves Acetone TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 6.59 Signicant [38]
Myricetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (14) Euclea racemosa Ebenaceae Leaves Acetone TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 6.99 Signicant [38]
7-O-Methylaloeresin A (15)Aloe harlana Asphodelaceae Leaves’
latex —TLC, CC, PTLC,
NMR DPPH 0.014 Signicant [29]
Terpenoids
β-Stigmasterol (16), Laggera tomentosa Asteraceae Roots Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 1150 Low [33]
3-Hydroxyisoagatholactone (17)Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 6.05 Signicant [69]
β-Sitosterol (18)
Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 2.72 Signicant [69]
Hydnora johannis Hydnoraceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 14.668 Moderate [68]
Cucurbitacin (19)Cucumis
prophetarum Cucurbitaceae Roots Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 80.2 Low [37]
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 7
Table 2: Continued.
Compounds Plant species Family Plant part
used Solvent used Isolation and
identication Method
Assay
method
IC
50
(g/
mL)
Antioxidant
potential Ref
α-Spinasterol (2 )Cucumis
prophetarum Cucurbitaceae Roots n-Hexane TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 172.7 Low [37]
Spinasterol (21)Calotropis procera Apocynaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.3 Signicant [24]
β-Sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (22)Hydnora johannis Hydnoraceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.014 Signicant [68]
Anthraquinone
Aloin (23)Aloe harlana Asphodelaceae Leaves’
latex —TLC, CC, PTLC,
NMR DPPH 41.84 Low [29]
Microdontin A/B (24)Aloe schelpei Asphodelaceae Leaves’
latex — PTLC, NMR DPPH 0.07 Signicant [30]
Aloin A/B (25)Aloe schelpei Asphodelaceae Leaves’
latex — PTLC, NMR DPPH 0.15 Signicant [30]
Aloinoside A/B (26)Aloe schelpei Asphodelaceae Leaves’
latex — PTLC, NMR DPPH 0.13 Signicant [30]
Chrysophanol (27)Laggera tomentosa Asteraceae Roots Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 6.2 Signicant [33]
Emodin (28)Laggera tomentosa Asteraceae Roots Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 3.8 Signicant [33]
Stilbenoids
ε-Viniferin (29)Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.017 Signicant [69]
Trans-Resveratrol (3 )Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.052 Signicant [69]
Gnetin H (31)Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.063 Signicant [69]
ε-Viniferin Diol (32)Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.157 Signicant [69]
Parthenostilbenin B (33)Cyphostemma
cyphopetalum Vitaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 0.025 Signicant [69]
Alkaloids
13-O-Pyrrolecarboxyl lupanine (34)Cadia purpurea Fabaceae Roots MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 58.44 Low [44]
Organic acid
Tetratriacontanyl caeate (35)Gnidia involucrata ymelaeoideae Root barks EtOAC TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 73 Low [57]
12-O-Dodeca-2,4-dienoylphorbol-13-acetate
(36)Gnidia involucrata ymelaeoideae Root barks EtOAC TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 84.9 Low [57]
(E)-Octadec-7-enoic acid (37)Crinum
abyssinicum Amaryllidaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 10.1 Moderate [24]
Myristic acid (38)Cucumis
prophetarum Cucurbitaceae Roots n-Hexane TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 232.3 Low [37]
Caeic acid (39)Cheilanthes
farinosa Pteridaceae Aerial
parts Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 4.19 Signicant [38]
Chlorogenic acid (4 )Cheilanthes
farinosa Pteridaceae Aerial
parts Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 8.01 Signicant [38]
8Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Table 2: Continued.
Compounds Plant species Family Plant part
used Solvent used Isolation and
identication Method
Assay
method
IC
50
(g/
mL)
Antioxidant
potential Ref
1, 3-Dilinoleoyl-2-stearoylglycerol (41)Rhynchosia
ferruginea Fabaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
CH
3
OH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 90.6 Low [41]
Xanthonoid
Mangiferin (42)Bersama abyssinica Francoaceae Leaves Methanol TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 6.72 Signicant [38]
Miscellaneous
Di-(2-methylheptyl) phthalate (43)Cadia purpurea Fabaceae Roots MeOH TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 7.99 Signicant [44]
Ethyl (E)-octadec-8-enoate (44)Crinum
abyssinicum Amaryllidaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 3.3 Signicant [24]
(4Z)-Dodec-4-en-1-ol (45)Calotropis procera Apocynaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 7.9 Signicant [24]
Penicilloitins B (46)Crinum
abyssinicum Amaryllidaceae Roots CH
2
Cl
2
/
MeOH (1 :1) TLC, CC, NMR DPPH 8.4 Signicant [24]
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 9
OHO
HO HO
HO
HO
HO
HO HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO HO
HO
HO
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH OH
OH
OH
OH OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OCH3
H3CO
H3CO
OCH3
OCH3
1
O
2
O
O
O
3
O
O
O
4
O
O
O
OR
5R = H
6R = CH3
O
OO
O
O
H3C
7
OO
O
OH
8
O
O
OO
9
O
O
OO
10
OHO
O
OO
11
CH3
CH3
CH3
CH3
H3CO
O
O
O
O
O
12 R = H
13 R = OH
O
R
O
O
O
14
O
R
16
O
17
O
18
O
O
O
O
O
O
15
(a)
Figure 4: Continued.
10 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
O
O
O
HO
19
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
20 O21
O
O
O
22
OH
OHOH
OH
OH OH
OH OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OHOH
OHOH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
HO
HO
HO
CH2OH
O
O
23
O
O
O
OH
O
25
O
O
26
O
CH3
CH3
O
R
O
27 R = H
28 R = OH
O
29
30
OO
31
O
32
24
(b)
Figure 4: Continued.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 11
[89]. e mechanism of action of alkaloids’ antioxidant
properties is demonstrated in Figure 5 [90]. Compound 33
was isolated from Cadia purpurea (Fabaceae), and it exhibits
a low level of antioxidant activity, with an IC
50
value of
58.44 g/mL [44].
3.2.6. Organic Acid. Seven antioxidant organic acid com-
pounds (35–41) that were isolated in the Ethiopian ora are
listed in Table 2 along with a depiction of their chemical
structure in Figure 4. Caeic acid (39) and chlorogenic acid
(4 ), two of such compounds, were isolated from the aerial
parts of Cheilanthes farinosa (Pteridaceae), and they
exhibited signicant antioxidant activity with IC
50
values of
4.19 and 8.01 g/mL, respectively [38].
3.2.7. Xanthonoid. A xanthonoid is a chemical natural phe-
nolic compound formed from the xanthone backbone [91].
Mangiferin is the best example, as it is a powerful therapeutic
OCH3
HO
HO
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH OH
OH
OH
33
N
N
O
O
H
N
O
34
O
O
CH3
21
HO
HO
HO
35
O
O
O
O
O
H3C
H3C
36
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
HO
O
37
O
38
O
39
O
O
COOH
40
O
O
O
O
O
O41
O
OO
42
O
O
O
O
43
O
O
6
44
45
O
O
46
(c)
Figure 4: Antioxidant compounds isolated from Ethiopian ora.
12 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
agent for treating a variety of diseases [92–94]. e antioxidant
compound mangiferin (42), which was isolated from the leaves
of Bersama abyssinica, had a signicant antioxidant activity
with an IC
50
value of 6.72 g/mL [38].
3.2.8. Miscellaneous Compounds. From three dierent plant
species, four dierent compounds have been isolated (Table 2
and Figure 4). Di-(2-methylheptyl) phthalate (43) was iso-
lated from the roots of Cadia purpurea (Fabaceae) [44], Ethyl
(E)-octadec-8-enoate (44) and Penicilloitins B (46) were
isolated from the roots of Crinum abyssinicum (Amar-
yllidaceae), and (4Z)-dodec-4-en-1-ol (45) was isolated from
the roots of Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) [24]. With an
IC
50
value of 3.3 g/mL, (4Z)-dodec-4-en-1-ol (45) exhibited
the most signicant antioxidant properties [24].
4. Conclusion and Future Prospects
Oxidative stress results from an excessive free radical for-
mation that is out of balance with the elimination of those
radicals. Oxidative stress has been linked to the etiology of
cancer, inammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, and
other serious diseases. Antioxidants are substances that
impede oxidative processes, prolonging or suppressing
oxidative stress in the process. Natural antioxidants that are
present in plants are gaining popularity. From a safety
perspective, herbs and spices are the most crucial objectives
when looking for natural antioxidants. Strong antioxidant,
anti-inammatory, antimutagenic, and cancer-preventive
properties are shared by a wide range of phenolic com-
pounds found in spices that are frequently employed as food
additives. e current review provides a summary of
Ethiopian studies on potentially antioxidant-rich medicinal
herbs. e article reviews draw attention to some active
metabolites and plant extracts that have the potential to
become brand-new drugs or improved plant medicines. A
number of these natural products and secondary metabolites
demonstrated and showed signicant antioxidant proper-
ties. Based on the ndings, the most eective oxidative plant
extracts from Ethiopian ora were Bersama abyssinica,
Solanecio gigas,Echinops kebericho,Verbascum sinaiticum,
Apium leptophyllum, and Crinum abyssinicum. e best
oxidative phytochemicals were rutin (7), avan-3-ol-7-O-
glucoside (8), myricitrin (13), myricetin-3-O-
arabinopyranoside (14), 7-O-methylaloeresin A (15), 3-
hydroxyisoagatholactone (17), beta-sitosterol (18), β-sitos-
terol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (22), microdontin A/B (24), aloin
A/B (25), aloinoside A/B (26), chrysophanol (27), emodin
(28), ε-viniferin (29), trans-resveratrol (3 ), gnetin H (31),
ε-viniferin diol (32), parthenostilbenin B (33), and caeic
acid (39). It is hoped that competent researchers and in-
terested individuals will investigate some of these plants and
compounds further to provide a thorough verication and
subsequently facilitate commercialization. e detailed
isolation, characterization, mechanisms of action, safety
investigations, quality control, and clinical trials on some of
these herbs and their isolated compounds are far from
satisfactory, although the majority of the studies examined
are preliminary. erefore, further in vivo studies on these
species are needed, as well as a systematic analysis of these
antioxidant-rich species.
Data Availability
e data used in this study are included within the article.
Metal ion
chelation
NADPH oxidase
inhibition
Xanthine oxidase
inhibition
Prevention of ROS formation
Induction of antioxidant
enzymes
Direct scavenging
of ROS
Flavonoids, Alkaloids, Terpenoids
and Anthraquinones
Figure 5: Mechanism of action of antioxidant eects of avonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and anthraquinones. Flavonoids, alkaloids,
terpenoids, and anthraquinones exert antioxidant eects by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, preventing ROS formation, and
increasing production of antioxidant enzymes.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 13
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that they have no conicts of interest.
Authors’ Contributions
GN and AS designed and conceived this study. RN, MA, ED,
and AD acquired and analyzed the data. GN, AS, and AD
wrote the manuscript. GN, AS, RN, and AD revised the
manuscript. All authors have read and approved the nal
manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the
work. GN and AS contributed equally to this work.
Acknowledgments
e authors would like to acknowledge the Armauer Hansen
Research Institute for providing access to various journal
databases.
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