In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Methanol Extract of Bark of Cordia Dichotoma Forst

In this study, the methanol extract of bark of Cordia dichotoma Forst., belonging to the family Boraginaceae was prepared by successive extraction procedure ( petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol) in soxhlet apparatus and subsequently, the extract was evaluated for its phytoconstituents and pharmacological activity. Comparatively, higher yield (7.11%) of methanol extract was obtained. Phytochemical tests revealed the presence of alkaloid, glycosides, proteins, amino acids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins and saponins in the extract. The methanol extract was evaluated for its in vitro antioxidant property by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical assay; sodium nitroprusside generated nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).Total phenolic content and total flavonoid contents were also carried out. The extract showed IC50 values of 62.46 μg/mL, 48.75μg/mL, 63.5 μg/mL for DPPH free radical, total phenolic content and flavonoid content, respectively. The current study is carried out to investigate the free radical scavenging potential of methanolic extract of bark of Cordia dichotoma using invitro models. These models demonstrate antioxidant activity in a concentration dependent manner. INTRODUCTION: Antioxidants are a group of substances, which inhibit or delay oxidative processes. Most of the potentially harmful effects of oxygen are due to the formation and activity of a number of chemical compounds, known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have the tendency to donate oxygen to other substances. Many such reactive species are free radicals. Type of free radicals include the hydroxyl radical (OH), superoxide radical (O2), the nitric oxide radical (NO), and the lipid peroxy radical (LOO). QUICK RESPONSE CODE DOI: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.5(1).142-47 Article can be accessed online on: www.ijpsr.com DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.5(1).142-47 This oxidative damage is a decisive etiological factor concerned in quite a lot of chronic human diseases such as diabetic mellitus, cancer and also in the aging course 1 . Free radicals due to environmental pollutants, radiation, chemicals, toxins, deep fried and spicy foods as well as physical and mental stress, cause depletion of immune system antioxidants, change in gene expression and induce abnormal proteins. Due to these problems natural antioxidants as free radical scavengers may be necessary 2, 3, 4 . It has been mentioned the antioxidant activity of plants might be due to their phenolic compounds 2 . Flavanoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds with known properties, which include free radical scavenging, inhibition of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes and anti-inflammatory action 5 .