ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF TRADITIONAL HERBAL DRUGS USED IN THE TREATMENT OF JAUNDICE

Abstract

Jaundice is not a disease rather a symptom that can show up in several disease conditions. The manifestation of jaundice is due to the severe hepatic damage and excessive release of a yellow pigment called bilirubin to blood. The process of RBC destruction is called haemolysis and the jaundice caused this way is called haemolytic jaundice. The other two types of jaundice are called hepatocellular jaundice and obstructive jaundice. In our body, a balance between oxidative free radicals and antioxidants is usually maintained and this is a prerequisite for a normal health. Overloading with the free radicals and significant depletion in the supply of antioxidants lead to an act of imbalance termed as oxidative stress in health science. Oxidative stress causes haemolysis. Severe oxidative stress is considered one of the principal factors causing jaundice. The hepatoprotective property of certain herbal drugs may be attributed to their antioxidant potential. All plants produce chemical compounds as part of their normal metabolic activities. The curative properties of drugs are due to the presence of complex chemical substances of varied composition (present as secondary plants metabolites) in one or more parts of these plants. A large number of plant based materials are recognized as hepatoprotective herbal drugs, and these are traditionally being used for the reversal of jaundice in ethno-medicine.