Survey of crude drugs effective in eliminating superoxides in blood plasma of mice

The effect of crude drugs on superoxide dismutase activity in the blood plasma of mice was examined. The ethanol extract of each crude drug was intraperitoneally administered. Ephedrae herba (Ephedra sinica Stapf, Ephedraceae), Nelumbinis folium (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner, Nymphaeaceae) and Scutellariae radix (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Labiatae) were significantly and dose dependently effective in eliminating superoxides in the plasma. Most of the extracts (except 2000 mg/kg of Scutellariae radix) showed no activity after oral administration.