In that oxidative stress has been identified as a contributing factor in a number of diseases, including atherosclerosis, neural degenerative disease, inflammation, cancer, and aging itself, scientists have sought to identify novel natural sources of antioxidants, compounds that can neutralize an excess of free radicals, to possibly prevent oxidative-stress related diseases.  In that many herbal plants contain polyphenolic compounds, which are a type of antioxidant, K. Akhilender Naidu from the the Central Food Technological Research Institute (India), and colleagues assessed the antioxidative activity of bitter cumin extracts using a combination of in vitro testing models. The researchers observed that at microgram concentration, the phenolic extracts of the cumin seeds showed significant scavenging ability, and inhibited liposomes oxidation and hydroxyl radical induced damage to DNA. Submitting that: “The results showed a direct correlation between phenolic acid content and antioxidant activity,” the team concludes that: “Bitter cumin is a good source of natural antioxidants.”