IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF LEAVES EXTRACTS OF CASELPINIA BONDUCELLA

Summary The objective of the present investigation is to assess the most potent antioxidant dicholromethane extract from the leaf of Caesalpinia bonducella. The in-vitro methods used to predict the antioxidant effect were DPPH radical scavenging assay, reducing power ability, Superoxide radical scavenging assay, nitric oxide scavenging assay & the estimation of total phenolic contents using gallic acid as standards. The % scavenging activity at different concentrations was determined and the IC 50 value of the extracts was compared with that of standard, ascorbic acid. The dichloromethane leaf extract gave an IC 50 value of 100.381 ug/ml. The reducing power was investigated by Fe3+ _ Fe2+ transformation in the presence of extracts tested using ascorbic acid as standard. The dichloromethane leaf extract showed increase reducing ability with increase in concentration at 700nm. The total antioxidant capacity by super oxide scavenging method and nitric oxide scavenging method is expressed as ascorbic acid and curcumin equivalents, respectively. The content of total phenolics (71.6 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg) in dichloromethane leaf extract was found. Based on the above results, the higher the phenolic content, the higher the antioxidant capacity was very well observed with dichloromethane leaf extract. Hence the dichloromethane extract of Caesalpinia bonducella dried leaf could be considered for preparation of nutraceuticals with potent antioxidant effect suitable for prevention of human disease.