The phenolic compounds of water extracts from Prunella vulgaris were highest at 9.25 mg/g, respectively, when various extraction solvents were used. The optimum condition for extracting phenolic compounds from Prunella vulgaris was extraction in water for 18hr. The DPPH-scavenging activities of Prunella vulgaris were highest at the water extracts. The ABTS radical cation decolorization was higher than 40% in the range of 0~100% ethanol extract section. The antioxidant protection factor on the lipophilic phenolic metabolites was shown to be 1.1 PF in the water extracts from Prunella vulgaris. The TBARS was lower than the control (0.53 μM) in all the sections. The tyrosinase inhibitory effect, which is related to skin whitening, was above 40%, and for the anti-wrinkle effect, the elastase inhibition activity was above 40% at 0.2 mg/mL. The astringent effect of the Prunella vulgaris 40%ethanol extracts was 98.1% at 1 mg/mL. As a result, it can be concluded that Prunella vulgaris has the potential to be used as a cosmetic material.

In this study, the optimal conditions for phenolic-compound extraction from medicinal plants were found to be 24 h and about 50% ethanol. The electron-donating scavenging activities (DPPH), ABTS radical-cation decolorization (ABTS), antioxidant protection factor (PF), and thiobarbituric acid reaction substance (TBAR) were measured to determine the antioxidant activities of the extracts of Sanguisorba officinalis Linn., Citrus unshiu Markovich, Melia azedarach L., Asparagus cochinchinensis Merr., Citrus unshiu S., Polygonum aviculare L., and Leonurus sibiricus L. The total phenolic contents of the extracts of medical plants were determined to be 0.45-3.00 mg/g in the water extracts and 0.33-3.15 mg/g in the 50% ethanol extracts. The electron-donating abilities (EDA) of the water and ethanol extracts were both above 85% at the 50 μg/ml concentration. The ABTS radical-cation decolorization was above 80% at the 100 μg/ml concentration in all the extracts of various medicinal plants. The antioxidant protection factor (PF) of the Melia azedarach L. extracts was found to be 1.65±0.40 PF in the water extracts at the 100 μg/ml concentration, and was higher than those of the other medicinal-plant extracts. The TBAR inhibition rates of all the medicinal-plant extracts, except Asparagus cochinchinensis Merr., were above 85% at the 100 μg/ml concentration. These results confirmed that the various oriental medicinal plants (Sanguisorba officinalis Linn., Citrus unshiu Markovich, Melia azedarach L., Asparagus cochinchinensis Merr., Citrus unshiu S., Polygonum aviculare L., and Leonurus sibiricus L.) that were included in this study are useful functional-food sources.