Antioxidant activity

Medicinal plants have served as a primary source of therapeutic agents throughout human history and continue to contribute significantly to modern pharmacotherapy. In recent decades, the renewed interest in plant-based medicines has been driven by increasing concerns over the adverse effects of synthetic drugs, rising healthcare costs, and a global shift toward natural and sustainable therapeutic options. However, the transition from traditional knowledge to evidence-based medicine requires systematic validation through scientifically robust methodologies. In vitro screening techniques have emerged as essential tools in this process, enabling the rapid and controlled evaluation of biological activities associated with plant-derived compounds. These methods facilitate the identification of pharmacologically active constituents, elucidation of mechanisms of action, and preliminary assessment of safety profiles. This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of in vitro approaches used in medicinal plant research, including phytochemical analysis, antioxidant assays, cytotoxic and anticancer evaluations, antimicrobial testing, and advanced cell-based models. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of sample preparation, authentication, extraction, and standardization, as these factors significantly influence reproducibility and experimental reliability. Furthermore, the applications of in vitro screening in drug discovery, validation of ethnomedicinal claims, toxicity assessment, and nutraceutical development are discussed in detail. Despite inherent limitations in mimicking complex in vivo systems, in vitro methodologies remain indispensable due to their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability to high-throughput platforms. Overall, this review highlights the pivotal role of in vitro screening as a scientific bridge connecting traditional medicinal knowledge with modern pharmaceutical research, thereby facilitating the rational development of plant-based therapeutics.

Key anti-inflammatory herbal compounds—curcumin, curcumin analogues, resveratrol, boswellic acids derived from Boswellia serrata, and Tripterygium wilfordii extracts—are reviewed in this study, together with mechanistic in vitro data and translational implications, for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This research provides a summary of their molecular processes, which include cytokine suppression, NF-κB inhibition, antioxidant action, and immunological modulation, based solely on recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, preclinical evaluations, and randomized trials. Emerging clinical translation in autoimmune illnesses and osteoarthritis is supported by good molecular evidence for these herbs, especially curcumin, resveratrol, and boswellic acids. Bioavailability, consistent dosage, and long-term safety are still areas where research is lacking in RA. Optimized formulations, high-quality RA-specific clinical studies, and mechanistic validation through in vitro disease models should be the priorities of future research.

One of the leading causes of cancer-related death for women worldwide is breast cancer. Natural substances obtained from therapeutic plants, particularly terpenoids, have garnered considerable interest as potential sources for pharmaceuticals. This study aims to determine which plant-based terpenoids, when tested in vitro against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, exhibit anti-cancer properties. Terpenoids were extracted using conventional chromatographic methods, and their identification was confirmed using spectroscopic analysis. We used fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry to detect apoptotic effects and the MTT assay to measure cytotoxicity. The findings demonstrated that the dose affected the effects of apoptosis induction and cancer cell growth inhibition. The authors of the study believe that terpenoids from plants have a lot of potential as a treatment for breast cancer.

Because people are becoming more interested in plant-based medicines, researchers are looking more closely at the bioactive components in medicinal herbs, especially polyphenols, because they may have antioxidant and anticancer effects. The goal of this study was to look into the antioxidant and anticancer properties of polyphenolic chemicals taken from some native herbs using established in vitro methodologies. We did methanolic and hydroethanolic extractions, then we measured the total phenolic and flavonoid content, the antioxidant activity using the DPPH and ABTS assays, and the cytotoxicity using the MTT assay on the MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines. Herb C had the highest total phenolic (168 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (96 mg QE/g) content of the samples examined. It also had the strongest antioxidant and anticancer activity, with IC₅₀ values close to those of normal ascorbic acid and a considerable decrease in cell viability. One-way ANOVA statistical analysis showed that the differences that were seen were significant (p