Evaluation of protective effects (antioxidant and antimutagenic) of methanol extract of seeds of Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand

Abstract

Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et Fernand. is known in the world market as 'White Gold' and tubers of this plant are used as an aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic medicines. In the present investigation, experiments were designed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimutagenic potential of methanol extract of seeds of C. borivilianum through various standard in vitro assays. Antioxidant activities of the seed methanol extract were determined through DPPH free radical scavenging assay, lipid peroxidation, deoxyribose degradation (site-specific and non-site specific), reducing power, and chelating power assays. The antimutagenic activity of the seed methanol extract was evaluated by employing plate incorporation assay. The extract showed significant free radical scavenging activity in 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, while low to moderate inhibitory potential in all the other antioxidant assays. The methanol extract showed significant antimutagenic effect in Ames assay in both co-incubation and pre- incubation modes in the presence as well as absence of S9. The results of the present study indicate that seed of C. borivilianum can be used as a good source of antioxidant and antimutagenic compounds.