Broad Spectrum Antioxidant Properties of 20 Indian Medicinal Plants

ABSTRACT

Antioxidant properties of methanol extracts of 20 plants were studied by four different assays over a range of concentrations (12.5–400 µg mL⁻¹), and compared with standard antioxidants’ ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene. Ascorbic acid–equivalent antioxidant activity of extracts by the phosphomolybdenum method ranged from 392.8 to 2942.7 µmoles g⁻¹ at 400 µg mL⁻¹, whereas DPPH radical scavenging was between 30.9% and 95.2%; extracts also showed strong activity by FRAP and CUPRAC assays. The extracts demonstrated dose-dependent activity and strong correlation between antioxidant activities and total phenolics. Total phenolic content was the highest in Syzygium aromaticum (279 mg GAE g⁻¹) and the lowest in Sesame indicum (28.16 mg GAE g⁻¹).

KEYWORDS:

• Spices
• free radical scavenging
• reducing power
• total phenolics

Funding

The authors are thankful to the UGC, New Delhi, for financial assistance in the form of a Research Fellowship to Maryam Zahin through AMU, Aligarh.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are thankful to the UGC, New Delhi, for financial assistance in the form of a Research Fellowship to Maryam Zahin through AMU, Aligarh.