Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, INVITRO FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF PLUMBAGO ZEYLANICA L.(“AFTUH”): ETHIOPIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT FOR "MICH"

Yohannes Weldemariam Getahun,* Afework Mulugeta Bezabh, Ramachandran Unnithan, Desta Tesfay Aregawi

ABSTRACT

Traditional medicinal knowledge has been serving a clue to most of plant derived drugs today. With locally available materials especially plants it was possible to defend and minimize lots of diseases caused by pathogens testing the human life. Fruits play major role in dealing with free radical mediated disorders. The aim of this study is to test the antioxidant efficacy of Plumbago Zeylanica root extracts to build up the less common local use of the plant for disorders caused by free radicals. Fresh roots of Plumbago Zeylanica was obtained from field and shade dried. Powdered root material was extracted in ethanol and chloroform by means of maceration and Soxhlet extraction respectively. The crude extract was screened for plant phytochemicals and assessed for free radical scavenging activity employing DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) stable free radical. Fractionation was done on the crude extacts to locate the most active ingredient and all the isolated fractions were subjected to radical scavenging and phytochemical tests. From phytochemical analysis results obtained the presence of tannins, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, steroids, and flavonoids were strong in ethanolic and water extracts. Regarding biological activity, the chloroform crude extracts as well as fractions were less potent than ethanol extracts in radical scavenging activity particularly at higher concentrations. Findings from fractionation show that, nine pure compounds were isolated from chloroform and ethanolic extracts. There was one fraction (designated as F8P-006) which showed persistent superior performance in the assay and it is predicted to be a quinone known as plumbagin

Keywords: Soxhlet extraction, Maceration, Free radical scavenging activity, In vitro test, Fractionation, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl).