ANTIOXIDANT AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF NOTHAPODYTES NIMMONIANA EXTRACTS

Abstract

Nothapodytes nimmoniana (J. Graham) belonging to family Icacinaceae is commonly known as Amruta and found in Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu in India. The aim of this study is to evaluate the free radical scavenging activity of Nothapodytes nimmoniana extracts belonging to the family Icacinaceae. Three successive heartwood and barks extracts (petroleum ether, ethanol and water) of Nothapodytes nimmoniana were prepared. The extract were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity using 2,2’-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethyl- benzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, superoxide, p-nitroso dimethyl aniline (p-NDA) and deoxyribose assays. The amount of total phenolic compounds was further estimated. The total phenol content in methanol and water extracts was found to be 24.34 mg/g and 14.55 mg/g, respectively. Among the three extracts tested, the ethanolic extract showed maximum activity with IC50 values 33.85

± 0.97,16.36 ± 0.74, 125.12 ± 2.31, 185.44 ± 2.62, 282.62 ± 4.68 µg/ml, for ABTS, DPPH, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, hydroxyl and superoxide radical inhibition assays, respectively. The water extract showed moderate activity than ethanolic extract when tested for ABTS, DPPH, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, hydroxyl and superoxide radical inhibition assays. The petroleum ether extract showed less activity at high concentrations when tested for compared with other extracts. All the three extracts showed less activity at high concentrations when tested for p-NDA assays. The successive ethanolic extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity and merits further investigations in animal models and isolation of its active constituents.