Abstract
Medicinal plants are utilized as complementary and alternative medicine in different kinds of diseases. The present study was designed to evaluate phytochemical components, of aqueous leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis and its antioxidant potentials against free radicals. The phytochemical component of the extract was determined by standard methods while the functional groups of the phytochemicals were carried out using FTIR techniques. The antioxidant abilities of aqueous leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis were evaluated by various antioxidant assays, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, scavenging activities. These various antioxidant activities were compared with standard antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and Gallic acid. Qualitative analysis of the extract revealed that the extract is rich in phenol, coumarins, saponin, tannin, anthraquinone, betacyanin, glycosides, oils and resin, quinones, flavonoids, alkaloids, sterols, vitamin C, terpenoids, sterols and phytosterols. Moreover, the results of FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of aromatic CH bend, C-O stretch, phenol, aromatic ring stretch, alkenyl stretch, hydroxyl group (alcohol) in the extract. The extract exhibited high reduction capability and powerful free radical scavenging, especially against DPPH radical and hydrogen peroxide. The extract shows higher inhibition activities than both ascorbic and Gallic acid. The results obtained in the present study clearly established the antioxidant potency of aqueous leaf extract of Telfairia occidentalis, which may account for some of the medical claims attributed to this plant.
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