A Comparative Study of the Antioxidant Potential of Foeniculum vulgare, Ocimum basilicum, Syzgium aromaticum, Lagenaria breviflora, and Luffa cylindrical

Oxidative stress is implicated in various diseases, and medicinal plants are valuable sources of natural antioxidants. This study evaluates the antioxidant activity of five medicinal plants—Foeniculum vulgare, Ocimum basilicum, Syzygium aromaticum, Lagenaria breviflora, and Luffa cylindrica—using multiple in vitro assays. Antioxidant activity was assessed using nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. Results were compared with ascorbic acid as a standard antioxidant. Among the five plants, L. breviflora exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (83.54±1.85%, p > 0.05 vs. ascorbic acid). F. vulgare showed the strongest NO and DPPH scavenging activity, while O. basilicum demonstrated the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power. S. aromaticum had the highest total antioxidant capacity.The tested medicinal plants exhibit significant antioxidant properties, with L. breviflora, F. vulgare, and O. basilicum showing the strongest activity in different assays. These findings support their potential application in mitigating oxidative stress-related diseases, but further studies are needed to evaluate their phytochemical composition and therapeutic relevance.