Study of Polyphenol Content and Anti- Oxidative Potential of Tribulus terrestris Dry Fruit Extract

Abstract

The dry fruit extract of Tribulus terrestris has been used in traditional medicine for various therapeutic applications. This study was intended to investigate its anti- oxidant potential using in-vitro assays. Initially, the total polyphenolic, flavonoid, and tannin content of the ethanolic extract of its dry fruit were tested since these compounds confer majority of the reducing power to plant extracts. The anti- oxidant potential of the extract was investigated using radical scavenging assays such as DPPH and ABTS, superoxide radical scavenging assay, and ferric reducing anti-oxidant power assay. The polyphenol content was found to be 6.65 + 0.64 (Mean + S.E.M.; n = 3) mg GAE/ g of extract, flavonoid content was 0.40 + 0.02 (Mean + S.E.M.; n = 3) mg RE/ g of extract, and tannin content was 4.09 + 0.67 (Mean + S.E.M.; n = 3) mg TAE/ g of extract. The results for anti- oxidant assay obtained were found to be comparable to ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene standards. The results indicate presence of polyphenol compounds which confer majority of anti- oxidant properties to plant extracts. Further in-vitro and in-vivo investigations would reveal the efficacy of the extract as a dietary source of anti- oxidants