Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolics in Leaves Extracts of Cassia Tora L

The leaves of Cassia tora (local name – puvad) are usually consumed as food ingredient in traditional recepies by local people of Haryana. In the present study, the antioxidant potency of sequential organic (petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, methanol) and aqueous leaf extracts of Cassia tora plant was investigated by using various established in vitro systems such as nitric oxide scavenging activity, βcarotene linoleic acid model system, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, reducing power, metal chelating activity and super oxide radical scavenging activity. The methanolic extract of the leaves of C. tora was found to be more effective against free radicals followed by aqueous and other organic extracts respectively. A preliminary study for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of phenolics was performed and the results were correlated with different antioxidant tests. A positive and significant correlation was observed (R = 0.4626 to 0.9961) between various test systems and total phenolics showed that the phenolic compounds were responsible for the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The data obtained from the in vitro models clearly establish the antioxidant potency of leaf extracts of C. tora.