IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF WRIGHTIA TINCTORIA LEAVES

Background: Since free radicals play such an important role in the disease scenario of an individual, a thorough understanding of the various physiologically significant free radicals is of paramount importance before the search of the radical scavengers or the antioxidant principles to treat the physiological disorders caused by them such as inflammation. Objective: To explore newer anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent from natural sources. Material and Methods: The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract of Wrightia tinctoria leaves was determined by measuring its 1,1 diphenyl-2-pycryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power and ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by using carrageenan induced rat paw oedema model in healthy wistar albino rats. Results and Discussion: Methanol extract exhibited strong total antioxidant activity. Concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1000µg /mL showed 52.34, 53.69, 53.69, 56.37, 58.60 and 61.07% inhibition of lipid peroxidtion respectively. In addition methanol extract had effective reducing power, DPPH free radical scavenging activity at 400µg/mL, the same extract was also evaluated for its anti-inflammatory activity at doses 100, 200 and 400mg/kg.Conclusion: Methanolic extract showed predominantly significant activity in a dose dependent manner, which is comparable to reference standard diclofenac sodium. Phytochemical studies indicated presence of alkaloids and phenols are the major components in the extract and it may be further concluded that these constituents may be responsible for antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity.