Abstract
The anti-oxidative activities of sequentially extracted solvent fractions of different parts of P. biglobosa were evaluated in a series of in vitro assays. Our findings indicated that all extracts had electron donating and free radical scavenging activities. But the ethanol (EtOH) extracts from all the parts demonstrated more promising anti-oxidative effects in these experimental models. Apart from the aqueous extracts of the stem bark and leaves, all other extracts exhibited hydroxyl radical scavenging (HRS) activity but the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of the stem bark and EtOH extracts of the root and leaves possessed more powerful HRS activity than other corresponding extracts in the parts. Further, nitric oxide (NO) inhibition activities were observed in all the extracts except the EtOAc extract of the stem bark which showed pro-oxidative activity. However, the EtOH extract of the stem bark and root as well as the EtOAc extract of the leaves displayed more potent anti-NO activity than other extracts in the parts. The GC-MS analysis of the EtOH extracts revealed that the most abundant phytochemicals are pyrogallol derivatives. Data from this study suggest that the EtOH extracts from different parts of P. biglobosa contained potent anti-oxidative agents and pyrogallol could be the main bioactive constituent.
Highlights
Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced through normal physiological and biochemical processes in living system, and are quenched by a cascade of endogenous antioxidant systems in the body (Young and Woodside, 2001)
The genus Parkia comprises over 70 species across the world but only a preliminary report on the antioxidant activity of a single plant (P. speciosa) from the genus appears in the literature (Razab and Abdul-aziz, 2010)
Ethnobotanical surveys have indicated that different parts of P. biglobosa are used in the traditional treatment of diabetes mellitus and other diseases whose pathogeneses are, in part, linked to oxidative stress (OS)
Summary
Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced through normal physiological and biochemical processes in living system, and are quenched by a cascade of endogenous antioxidant systems in the body (Young and Woodside, 2001). The use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various diseases continues to be an important component of the healthcare delivery system, especially in Africa where more than 5400 medicinal plants were reported to have over 16, 300 medicinal uses (van Wyk, 2008). The influence of these medicinal plants and natural products upon drug discovery is impressive because a number of clinically active drugs are either natural products or have a natural product pharmacophore (Koehn and Carter, 2005). Several studies were investigated to examine the above-mentioned effects of this plant, the anti-oxidative effects have not been examined either in vitro or in vivo despite its extensive use for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, an OS associated metabolic disorder
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
