Evaluation of possible antioxidant activities of barberry solid formulation, a selected formulation from Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) via various procedures

The purpose of this study is to reformulate a solid traditional Ghors-e-zereshk (barberry traditional tablet) from Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) and to assess the antioxidant effect and determining the total phenol and flavonoids contents of water and hydroalcoholic extract of mentioed formulation. The antioxidant effects of water and hydroalcoholic extracts of barberry solid formulation were measured by three methods: DPPH radical scavenging, nitric oxide free radical scavenging and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP) reducing method. The total phenol and flavonoid content were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods. For standardization ashes' test also used. The hydro-alcoholic extract has more phenolic compounds (31.46 +/-.13 mg GAE/g of dry matter) than the water extract and the water extract has more flavonoid compounds (6.38 +/-.25mg Querceting of dry matter) than the hydro-alcoholic extract. The result of DPPH radical scavenging shows that the hydro-alcoholic extract has more effect than the water extract. FRAP value indicates that the hydro-alcoholic extract has more reductive activity than the water extract. The study of NO radical scavenging represents water extract 74.61 +/- 2.95 %, hydro-alcoholic extract 61.72 +/- 1.79 % thus,water and hydro-alcoholic extracts are powerful antioxidants and have hepatoprotective effects. Other relative biological effects, for example, the protective effects through oxidative stress can also be considered.