Estimation of total phenolics and flavonoidal contents as well as in vitro antioxidant potential of Apium leptophyllum Pers.

Abstract

Abstract At present, major causes of diseases is oxidative stress affecting both metabolic and physiological functions of the body. That is why there is a great need for investigation of nutritious food supplements for counteracting these oxidative stresses. Therefore, the aim of study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Apium leptophyllum Pers. fruits by estimating total phenolic as well as flavonoidal contents and antioxidant values. The collected fruits were extracted separately using different solvents like methanol, ethanol and water. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured from the respective extracts and correlated with their antioxidant values. The antioxidant properties of various fruit extracts (12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 150 μg/ml) were evaluated by DPPH, hydroxyl, nitric oxide and superoxide scavenging assay and compared with ascorbic acid as a standard. All the extracts of A. leptophyllum were found to be dose dependent inhibition against these free radicals. Among all these extracts, the methanolic one was found better in the scavenging activity and followed dose-dependent manner against DPPH, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, superoxide anions with minimum IC50 values of 97.9, 89.02, 135.37, 127.73 μg/ml, respectively, and also observed more significant (p<0.01) as compared with standard Furthermore, total phenolic and flavonoidal contents were found highest in methanolic extract. The results obtained in this study clearly indicate that the methanolic extract of A. leptophyllum may be used as a new potential source of natural nutritional supplement in food or pharmaceutical industries due to rich source of phenolic, flavonoidal contents as well as antioxidant property