Phytochemical screening, in-vitro antioxidant and anti protease activities of various solvent extracts of Muehlenbeckia platyclada root (F. Muell.) Meisn

Abstract

The objective of this study was focussed on phytochemical screening, in vitro antioxidant and antiprotease activities of various solvent extracts of Muehlenbeckia platyclada root. The roots were washed thoroughly, shade dried and coarsely powdered. The powdered material of Muehlenbeckia platyclada was successively extracted with hexane, chloroform and methanol using soxhlet apparatus. Preliminary phytochemical screening for carbohydrates, proteins, alkaloids, phytosteroids, flavonoids, glycosides, polyphenolics, saponins, and tannins were done by following standard procedure. In vitro antioxidant activities of three solvent extracts were assessed using DPPH, ABTS and total antioxidant capacity and flavonoids were estimated using aluminum chloride colourimetric assay. In vitro anti-protease activity of the root was evaluated using trypsin as enzyme and BAEE (N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester) as a substrate. The results showed that phytochemicals such as carbohydrates, proteins, flavonoids and glycosides, which present in the methanolic extract, were absent in hexane and chloroform extract of the root. The in vitro antioxidant and antiprotease activities of the Muehlenbeckia platyclada root clearly showed that the plant root has prominent antioxidant and protease inhibiting properties. From this work, it can be concluded that Muehlenbeckia platyclada root has the potential to be a powerful antioxidant and protease inhibitor.