Table 3. Results of the free radical scavenging activity, cytotoxicity against FL-cells and phytochemical screening of the investigated plants Plant species Extracts Radical scavenging activity (%) ImCg5m0 l 1 Acalypha fruticosa Methanolic 70 Hot aqueous >1000 Actiniopteris semiflabellata Methanolic 950 Hot aqueous >1000 Alkanna orientalis Methanolic 700 Hot aqueous >1000 Carthamus tinctorius Methanolic 100 Hot aqueous >1000 Centaurea pseudosinaica Methanolic 540 10 mg ml 1 50 mg ml 1 100 mg ml 1 500 mg ml 1 1000 mg ml 1 43.37 44.07 52.75 81.92 92.26 0.0 0.0 8.57 15.87 22.94 9.15 55.39 92.25 95.54 95.20 0.0 0.0 14.60 14.91 17.80 6.02 17.34 15.63 98.10 94.98 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.29 0.0 0.0 10.78 89.73 88.70 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.34 16.21 0.0 0.0 18.53 74.40 99.98 Cleome schweinfurthii Dodonaea viscosa Forsskalea tinacissima Iris albicans Jatropha variegata Lavandula pubescens Lippia citriodora Mentha longifolia Plectranthus hadiensis (Leaves) Plectranthus hadiensis (Roots) Tragia pungens Verbascum bottae Ascorbic acid Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 515 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 650 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 100 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 15 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 100 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 625 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 30 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 820 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 150 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic >1000 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic 70 Hot aqueous >1000 Methanolic >1000 Hot aqueous >1000 0.0 2.87 0.0 29.98 0.0 22.37 0.0 13.78 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.12 0.0 3.22 0.0 16.90 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.06 4.30 54.78 0.0 40.50 0.0 45.28 0.0 0.20 0.0 50.72 0.0 19.08 0.0 17.13 0.0 5.62 0.0 27.45 0.0 7.95 0.0 21.47 2.04 0.0 0.0 54.85 3.51 62.39 14.34 46.70 4.02 96.81 0.0 10.36 0.0 80.84 11.05 21.42 0.0 33.51 0.0 51.0 0.0 50.32 0.0 14.04 7.78 36.19 12.00 12.84 2.05 92.07 10.24 79.45 11.05 53.40 13.00 96.51 9.44 64.69 0.0 94.29 22.77 41.56 0.0 40.10 12.64 99.0 0.0 93.90 0.0 60.52 16.38 91.76 16.34 80.10 8.10 93.36 39.90 95.24 43.56 89.78 23.51 97.60 37.90 84.80 2.65 92.45 31.80 63.60 4.02 58.69 17.32 99.62 13.96 94.34 23.83 99.41 33.80 93.12 24.30 83.82 8.73 95.25 38.80 95.87 56.41 93.30 29.00 96.37 eCAM 2010;7(3) 327 Photochemical screening Terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins Isoflavonoids Alkaloids, naphthoquinons Flavonoids, coloring substances Volatile oil, terpenoids, flavonoids Glucosinolates, terpenoids, flavonoids Flavonoids, Steroids, terpenoids Sterols Isoflavonoids, flavonoids Steroids, flavonoids Terpenoids, Volatile oil and tannins Terpenoids, Volatile oil, tannins Flavonoids, volatil oil, terpenoids Terpenoids, volatile oil, flavonoids Terpenoids, sterols Terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids Iridoids, saponins 38% at the highest concentration namely 1000 mg ml 1 (Table 3). I. albicans, L. citriodora and T. pungens exhibited noticeable activities with IC50 values below 100 mg ml 1 (Table 3). Cytotoxic Activity Among the 34 extracts tested for cytotoxicity against FL-cells only the methanolic extracts of A. fruticosa, Phytochemical Screening The results of the phytochemical screening of the investigated methanolic extracts showed the presence of