The extractions of indigo (Indigofera tinctoria L.) and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) red and yellow from wool
fibres are invesFerns are famous traditional medicinal plants and 300 fern species have been used as phytomedicines by
Southwestern of China. However, there is little information on the phytochemicals and pharmacological
characteristics of most fern species. The total flavonoid concentrations, antioxidant activity, anticancer
activity, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition of extracts from 19 species of ferns were investigated. The
total flavonoid concentrations ranged from 8.6 to 306.4 mg/g (w/w). The antioxidant activity including
DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging, and superoxide anion scavenging, reducing power
and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) of flavonoid extracts from these ferns showed a weak
linear relationship with their total flavonoid concentrations. Selaginella frondosa with very low total
flavonoid concentration (13.4 mg/g) showed highest inhibition against A549 cells and it is necessary to
further investigate the anti-cancer compounds in S. frondosa. The extracts from Davallia cylindrica Ching
and Stenoloma chusanum Ching significantly inhibited AChE activity, which illustrated that it is worthy
of attention to investigate flavonoids from D. cylindrica and S. chusanum as AChE inhibitors