Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity and Radical Scavenging Property of Ficus bengalensis L. Applying Various Spectroscopic and Spin-trapping Methods

Abstract

The search for sources of new antioxidants of natural origin derived from plants is very important in the wake of decreasing resistance of human beings to various diseases. In the present study, antioxidant activity, phenolic contents and phytochemical profile of various extracts of Ficus bengalensis were investigated and discussed. Extracts (100 μg/ml) showed highest inhibitory potential with application of different methodologies: DPPH• scavenging (76.6 % and 67.6 %), deoxyribose degradation non-site-specific (67.4 % and 66.2 %), chelating power (56.5 % and 57.5 %) and NBT scavenging (55.4 % and 59.6 %) in decreasing and increasing polarity of methanol extracts, respectively. However, reducing power (1.72 and 1.28) and deoxyribose degradation site-specific (55.1 % and 57.7 %) assay exhibited their maximum activity in acetone extracts of increasing and decreasing solvent polarity, respectively. Similarly, EPR/spin-trapping exhibited 10.9 mg Trolox g^-1 radical scavenging capacity with acetone extracts (increasing polarity). The differences in antioxidant activity of extracts are attributed to the presence of various phytochemicals. The IC⁵⁰ values of different extracts were also calculated and presented in the results. This is perhaps the first report of potential utilization of prop roots of F. bengalensis as a source of natural antioxidants.

Key words:

• Ficus bengalensis
• antioxidant activity
• phytochemical profile
• EPR spectroscopy
• free radical
• spin trap