Effect of crude extracts of some medicinal plants on the osmotic stability of human erythrocytes in vitro

Abstract

Nigella sativa, Syzygium aromaticum, Hibiscus sabdarriffa, Mentha pulegium and Camellia sinensis
plants are used in the folk medicine in Egypt and in many other countries worldwide. We examined the
influence of aqueous extracts of these plants on the osmotic stability of human erythrocytes. The SODlike activities of the extracts were also examined as indication of their antioxidative role. Our results indicated that the membrane permeability and cellular homeostasis were severely disturbed during exposure to H. sabdarriffa aqueous extract. M. pulegium had a good antihemolytic power which
may be attributed to its antioxidant activity. C. sinensis showed the highest SOD-like activity and the best antihemolytic power among all the studied extracts in its high concentrations. S. aromaticum behaved similar to C. sinensis in its low and moderate concentrations. N. sativa showed a very strong antihemolytic effect in its high concentration. The role of these plants in the prevention of oxidative stress and ROS related diseases requires further consideration.