Pedalium murex Linn (Pedaliaceae) fruits: A comparative antioxidant activity of its different fractions

Abstract

Objective: To examine the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of different solvent fractions of Pedalium murex (P. murex) Linn fruits (Family: Pedaliaceae) as well as the correlation between the total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. Methods: In the present study, the antioxidant activities of P. murex were evaluated using six in-vitro assays, namely total antioxidant assay, DPPH assay, reducing power, nitric oxide scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and deoxyribose scavenging assays, and total phenol contents were also investigated. Results: The ethyl acetate (EA) fraction was found to have high levels of phenolic content (298.72±2.09 mg GAE/g). The EA fraction exhibit higher total antioxidant capacity, higher percentage of DPPH radical scavenging activity (135.11±2.95μg/mL), nitric oxide (200.57±4.51μg/mL), hydrogen peroxide (217.91±6.12 μg/mL), deoxyribose (250.01±4.68μg/mL) and higher reducing power. Correlation coefficient (r2=0.914) was found to be significant between total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity. Conclusions: In general, the results indicate that the EA fractions are rich in phenolic antioxidants with potent free radical scavenging activity implying their importance to human health. © 2011 Asian Pacific Tropical Biomedical Magazine.