Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2010.340.343SultanaS. RipaF. A.HamidK. 72010137Many spices have been shown to impart an antioxidative effect in foods. This study summarized the literature on the antioxidativc effects of spices. The term spice is defined as dry plant material that is normally added to food to impart flavor. The methanolic crude extracts of Allium sativum, Coriandrum sativum, Cuminum cyminum, Zingiber officinale, Cinnamomum verum, Elettaria cardamomum and Cinnamomum tamala were screened for their free radical scavenging properties using ascorbic acid as standard antioxidant. Free radical scavenging activity was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The overall antioxidant activity of Cuminum cyminum was found to be the strongest, followed in descending order by Z. officinale, C. sativum, A. sativum, C. tamala, C. verum, E. cardamomum. The IC50 values of the extracts ranged between 15 .48 and 217.431 (μg mL-1). The ascorbic acid levels was 22.78 (μg mL-1) the present study revealed that the selected plants would exert several beneficial effects by virtue of their antioxidant activity and could be harnessed as drug formulation.]]>Al-Zuhair, H., B. El-Sayeh, H.A. Ameen and H. Al-Shoora,1996347982Bozin, B., N. Mimica-Dukic, I. Samojlik, A. Goran and R. Igic,2008Allium sativum L., Alliaceae).]]>111925929Brand-Williams, W., M.E. Cuvelier and C. Berset,1995282530Chithra, V. and S. Leelamma,1997Coriandrum sativum): Mechanism of action.]]>51167172Melo, E.D.A., F.M. Bion, J.M. Filho and N.B. Guerra,2003In vivo antioxidant effect of aqueous and etheric coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) extracts.]]>105483487Ghani, A.,20032nd Edn.,Pages: 603Pages: 603Gray, A.M. and P.R. Flatt,1999Coriandrum sativum (coriander).]]>81203209Imai, J., N. Ide, S. Nagae, T. Moriguchi, H. Matsuura and Y. Itakura,199460417420Joshi, S.G.,20001st Edn.,pp: 34-35pp: 34-35Kikuzaki, H. and N. Nakatani,19935814071410Krishnakantha, T.P. and B.R. Lokesh,199330133134Srinivasan, K.,2005387786Lee, J.S., S.M. Jeon, E.M. Park, T.L. Huh, O.S. Kwon, M.K. Lee and M.S. Choi,20036183191Prasad, K.N., B. Yang, X. Dong, G. Jiang, H. Zhang, H. Xie and Y. Jiang,2009Cinnamomum species.]]>10627632Nair, S., R. Nagar and R. Gupta,199846708710Nickavar, B. and F.A. Abolhasani,2009223035Sabahat, S. and T. Perween,2007Candida albicans.]]>39913917Habib, S.H.M., S. Makpol, N.A.A. Hamid, S. Das, W.Z.W. Ngah and Y.A.M. Yusof,2008Zingiber officinale) has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects on ethionine-induced hepatoma rats.]]>63807813Shahidi, F. and M. Naczk,1995pp: 75-107pp: 75-107Tepe, B., M. Sokmen, H.A. Akpulat and A. Sokmen,200695200204Wangensteen, H., A.B. Samuelsen and K.E. Malterud,200488293297Halliwell, B., J.M.C. Gutteridge and E.S. Cross, 1992119598620Mathew, S. and T.E. Abraham,2006In vitro antioxidant activity and scavenging effects of Cinnamomum verum leaf extract assayed by different methodologies.]]>44198206