In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Habbe Sara (Unani Medicine) Prescribed for Febrile Convulsions

Unani system of medicine (Unanipathy) originated in Greece, enriched by Persians and Arabs and now became an integral part of Alternative medicinal systems of Pakistan and India. Habbe Sara (HS) is a Unani medicine prescribed for liver damage and febrile convulsions. The drug was tested for antioxidant activity, as there is growing evidence of role of free radicals in disease progression in liver disorders and epilepsy and benefits of concomitant antioxidant administration. Currently available antiepileptic drugs either exacerbate or decrease free radicals. Habbe Sara was tested for free radical scavenging and metal chelating activity. It showed considerable in vitro antioxidant activity in a dose dependent manner. Keywords: Unani, Ascorbic acid, Disodium ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, Free radical scavenging, Metal chelation