Abstract
Objective: The present study was carried to evaluate free radical scavenging activity and phytochemical analysis of successive extraction with hexane (AVH), ethyl acetate (AVE) and methanol (AVM) of Alysicarpus vaginalis var. nummularifolius (DC.) MIQ., a herb used in home remedies.Methods: The entire plant was dried and powdered, successively extracted (soxhlet apparatus) and concentrated using rotary vacuum evaporator. The extracts were quantitatively analyzed for phytochemicals like total phenolic, flavonoids, alkaloids and carbohydrates following standard methods. The free radical scavenging activity was evaluated with DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), nitric oxide radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging reactions.Results: The quantitative phytochemical studies of the crude extracts showed that AVM extract with highest phenolic, flavonoid, alkaloid and carbohydrate content which is followed by AVE and AVH. The IC50 values of AVH, AVE and AVM for scavenging DPPH, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide were 589.21±0.09 µg/ml, 254.65±0.08 µg/ml and 261.40±0.08 µg/ml; 533.81±0.09 µg/ml, 362.07±0.09 µg/ml and 456.36±0.08 µ/ml; 464.66±0.08 µg/ml, 380.29±0.08 µg/ml and 367.6±0.08 µg/ml respectively. Conclusion: The present study revealed that AVM extracts having high polyphenolic compounds when compared with AVE and AVH. The free radical scavenging reaction was greater in ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. This suggests that due to the high antioxidant reactions, these extracts can be useful for the treatment of oxidative stress–related diseases.
Highlights
The basis of traditional herbal medicine practiced in the past and in the present are due to the bioactivity of phytochemicals [1]
Plants are endowed with various phytochemical molecules such as vitamins, terpenoids, phenolic acids, lignins, tannins, flavonoids, quinones, coumarins, alkaloids, amines and other metabolites, which are rich in antioxidant activity [2, 3]
The results of quantitative analysis of various phytoconstituents of hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of A. vaginalis are given in fig
Summary
The basis of traditional herbal medicine practiced in the past and in the present are due to the bioactivity of phytochemicals [1]. Plants are endowed with various phytochemical molecules such as vitamins, terpenoids, phenolic acids, lignins, tannins, flavonoids, quinones, coumarins, alkaloids, amines and other metabolites, which are rich in antioxidant activity [2, 3]. The free radicals have been implicated in causing many diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause tissue injury through covalent binding and lipid peroxidation [4] which contribute the pathogenesis of many diseases [5]. Antioxidants scavenge the free radicals and thereby terminate the chain reaction that can damage cells. Antioxidants present in plant help in the stimulation of cellular defence system and oxidative damage [6]. Studies have shown that many of these antioxidant compounds possess anti-inflammatory, antiatherosclerotic, antitumor, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, and antiviral activities [7, 8]
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