Inhibition of lipid peroxidation by anti hemorrhoid herbs

Free radicals are generated in ano-rectal diseases and stress process involved in hemorrhoids could be supplemented by using herbs rich in flavonoid antioxidants both internally and locally to prevent lipid peroxidation. The present study evaluated the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, total phenol content and total flavonoid in three commonly used Nigerian medicinal plants [Harungana madagascariensis Lam, ex Poiret (Guttiferae); Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae) and Newbouldia laevis Seem (Bignoniaceae)] used for the treatment of hemorrhoid both topically and internally. Antioxidant efficacy of the extracts towards lipid peroxidation in raw and cooked fish homogenate of Scomber japonicum was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactivity method based on the end products of thiobarbituric acid and malonyl to produce a red pink adduct measured at UV 532nm and expressed as MDA equivalent/mg of tissue. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were determined spectrophotometrically using gallic acid and rutin as standards respectively.

Plant Samples	Correlation Coefficient (r 2 ) (Concentration/TBARS Values)		Total Phenols (mg)	Total Flavonoid (mg)
	Raw homogenate	Cooked homogenate
H. madagascariensisbark	0.8680	0.8717	0.1758±0.0006	0.2795±0.0006
H. madagascariensisleaves	0.9655	0.9927	0.1679±0.0010	0.6541±0.0145
K. africana bark	0.9570	0.9614	0.1766±0.1166	0.4737±0.0006
K. africana fruit	0.90470	0.9289	0.2092±0.0283	0.2189±0.0015
N. leavis bark	0.5064	0.9948	0.3004±0.0090	0.3211±0.0006
N. leavis leaves	0.9864	0.9768	0.3948±0.0015	0.6172±0.0017

Activity correlated positively with flavonoid content. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation more in cooked than raw fish homogenate because cooking alters the nature of the membrane so site of action is favoured by having more access to the radical thus better antioxidant activity and effective inhibition of the free radical damage.