Saturday, November 2, 2024
HomeBotanical AgentsBitter Cumin A Rich Source of Antioxidants

Bitter Cumin A Rich Source of Antioxidants

India team finds that seeds from the herb bitter cumin possess a high level of antioxidants, suggesting a functional health role in diseases linked to oxidative stress

In that oxidative stress has been identified as a contributing factor in a number of diseases, including atherosclerosis, neural degenerative disease, inflammation, cancer, and aging itself, scientists have sought to identify novel natural sources of antioxidants, compounds that can neutralize an excess of free radicals, to possibly prevent oxidative-stress related diseases.  In that many herbal plants contain polyphenolic compounds, which are a type of antioxidant, K. Akhilender Naidu from the the Central Food Technological Research Institute (India), and colleagues assessed the antioxidative activity of bitter cumin extracts using a combination of in vitro testing models. The researchers observed that at microgram concentration, the phenolic extracts of the cumin seeds showed significant scavenging ability, and inhibited liposomes oxidation and hydroxyl radical induced damage to DNA. Submitting that: “The results showed a direct correlation between phenolic acid content and antioxidant activity,” the team concludes that: “Bitter cumin is a good source of natural antioxidants.”

V Ani, Kamatham A Naidu.  “Antioxidant potential of bitter cumin (Centratherum anthelminticum (L.) Kuntze) seeds in in vitro models.”  BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011, 11:40, May 20, 2011.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular