Short report Antioxidant activity of water extract of Scoparia dulcis W.D. Ratnasooriya a, * , J.R.A.C. Jayakody a , G.A.S. Premakumara c , E.R.H.S.S. Ediriweera b a Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka b Department of Nidana Chikithsa, Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka c Natural Products Group, Industrial Technology Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka Received 15 May 2003; accepted in revised form 30 June 2004 Abstract An aqueous extract of Scoparia dulcis showed marked antioxidative activity in vitro, which supports the therapeutic effects claimed by traditional practitioners. D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. Keywords: Scoparia dulcis ; Antioxidant activity 1. Plant Scoparia dulcis L. (Scrophulariaceae), collected from paddy fields in Kalutara, Sri Lanka in May 2001, was authenticated by Dr. I. Senaviratne (Mrs.), Department of Botany, University of Colombo. 2. Uses in traditional medicine As an analgesic and antipyretic, and in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, gastric disorders, bronchitis, hypertension, hemorrhoids, unspecified urinary ailments and 0367-326X/$ - see front matter D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2004.06.012 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +94 1 503399. E-mail address: wdr@zoology.cmb.ac.lk (W.D. Ratnasooriya). Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 220 – 222 www.elsevier.com/locate/fitote