Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance in production of reactive oxygen and the biological ability to
detoxify the reactive intermediates or repair the resulting damage. Herbal medicines commonly fight
these complications with their antioxidant properties. However, it should be noted that herbal drugs
extracts are abundant sources of polyphenols and these compounds are unstable and might be subjected
to polymerization. Thus, it is essential to check that the observed biological properties are not due to
polymerization of phenolic compounds