The present work was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of aminothiazole derivative by performing various in vitro assays; to study its protective effect on H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage on pBR322 DNA and on RBC cellular membrane. The in vitro assays were performed with different concentrations of aminothiazole derivative (6.15, 12.29, 18.44, 24.59, and 30.73 microM) and the results were compared with standards like ascorbic acid and trolox. Our results clearly indicated that aminothiazole derivative at a dose of 18.44 microM exhibited radical scavenging activity greater than that of ascorbic acid and trolox. The DNA protective effect on pBR322 DNA showed that there was a concentration-dependent inhibition of the disappearance of supercoiled (ccc) form of DNA on incubation with 30 mM H(2)O(2) in the presence of different concentrations of aminothiazole derivative. Thus our compound at 1.5 mM prevents the conversion from supercoiled (ccc) form to open circular form (oc) form of pBR322 DNA. Pretreatment with aminothiazole derivative at a dose of 18.44 microM prevents membrane damage and exhibits an IC(50) value, which is the concentration of the sample required to inhibit 50% of the radical formed greater than that of the standards (ascorbic acid and trolox). Thus our compound of interest aminothiazole derivative exhibits antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties greater than that of standards like ascorbic acid and trolox and thereby protects pBR322 DNA and RBC cellular membrane from free radical induced oxidative damage.