Antioxidant activity of Amaranthus species from the Amaranthaceae family – A review

Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many degenerative diseases. Antioxidant compounds can potentially be derived from plant sources. Consequently, investigations are been focused on plants as potential sources of treatments for oxidants-induced diseases. Some class of compounds that have been reported in many medicinal plants includes phenolics, alkaloids, saponins, tannins and terpenoids. Amaranthus belong to a more complex Amaranthaceae family and are widely used as leaf vegetables around the world. Interest has grown towards the search of Amaranthus species as potential sources of antioxidants. Hypothesis Compounds that can break the chain reaction initiated by reactive oxygen species are vital in treating and preventing disease caused by ROS. Method In this review, we did a comprehensive literature search on research articles published on the antioxidant activity of some Amaranthus species and in-vitro antioxidant assays. Results To establish the antioxidant potential of a plant, researchers customarily used more than a single evaluation method. Remarkable success has however been made using different evaluation methods in establishing the radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of some Amaranthus species. Some of the conventional methods enumerated in this write-up assessed the antioxidant activity by monitoring the radical scavenging activity of the plant extracts. Conclusions The antioxidant activity of the Amaranthus family has been reported to contribute largely to the various medicinal values. This review further outlined the antioxidant properties of Amaranthus species vis-a-vis their health benefits.