Antioxidative properties of alcoholic extracts from Fraxinus excelsior, Populus tremula and Solidago virgaurea.

Aqueous-ethanolic extracts from Fraxinus excelsior, Populus tremula and Solidago virgaurea inhibit biochemical model reactions representing inflammatory situations to various extents. These model reactions include xanthine oxidase, diaphorase in the presence of the autoxidizable quinone juglone, lipoxygenase and photodynamic reactions driven by riboflavin or rose bengal. The tested extracts are the components of the phytomedicine Phytodolor N (abbreviated as PD) which possesses antipyretic, analgesic, antiinflammatory and antirheumatic activity. Since several reactive oxygen species produced by the mentioned model systems are also involved in inflammatory processes, the beneficial activities of the complete drug may at least in part be due to the reported antioxidative functions of the individual components.