EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING POTENTIAL OF STRYCHNOS POTATORUM AN INDIAN MEDICINAL HERB BY USING IN-VITRO RADICAL SCAVENGING ASSAYS
Pitchiah Kumar Murugan* and Kaliyamurthi Venkatachalam
ABSTRACT
Oxidative stress is considered to be one of the most significant factors
that contribute to life threatening disease like myocardial infarction.
From the recent research it was evident that medicinal plants with
potential antioxidant activity will alleviate the condition of oxidative
stress and its related pathology. The main aim of the present research
work is to evaluate the antioxidant potential of aqueous, alcoholic and
hydro alcoholic extracts of the plant Strychnos potatorum by in vitro
DPPH, Nitric oxide, Hydrogen peroxide and ABTS radical scavenging
assays. Epicarp of Strychnos potatorum Linn was extracted with water,
Ethanol and mixture of Ethanol: water (6:4) (hydro-alcoholic extract)
by using soxhlet extraction method. The respective extracts were
screened for antioxidant activity by in vitro assay techniques. The
results obtained from the study reveals that all the three extracts
showed promising antioxidant activity in which the ethanol extract
(EESP) projects highest significant activity followed by aqueous
(AESP) and hydro-alcoholic (HAESP) extracts. In DPPH radical
scavenging assay EESP exhibit strong scavenging activity the equivalent percentage
inhibition ranges from 25.96 to 81.04% followed by this AESP with inhibition of 22.03 to
79.25% and HAESP with percentage inhibition of 24.89 to 77.46%. Results of nitric oxide radical assays shows that EESP shown higher percentage inhibition of 22.82 to 72.1%
similarly AESP with 12.93 to 35.37% and HAESP with 5.18 to 44.22% inhibition. In
hydrogen peroxide radical inhibition assay EESP contributes higher inhibition percentage of
16.68 to 74.98% whereas AESP with 6.12 to 60.57% and HAESP with 7.81 to 63.85%.
Result of NO radical scavenging property reflects that EESP projects highest inhibition of
22.82 to 72.1% followed by this AESP with 12.93 to 35.57% and HAESP with 5.18 to
44.22%. Datas obtained from ABTS radical scavenging assay clearly reflects that EESP has
higher percentage inhibition of 26.31 to 78.79% followed by this AESP with inhibition of
12.69 to 51.95% and HAESP with percentage inhibition of 10.68 to 67.17%. It was
concluded from the results that EESP had shown the highest radical scavenging activity
among the extractives when compare to that of the standard’s. In future epicarp of Strychnos
potatorum may be considered as a valuable natural antioxidant source for scavenging free
radical. It may be developed as a potential plant based therapeutic moiety for treating
diseases caused by free radicals.
Keywords: Oxidative stress, Free radicals, Strychnos potatorum, Antioxidant activity, DPPH, Nitric oxide, Hydrogen peroxide, ABTS scavenging assays.
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