In vitro antioxidant activity of Litsea quinqueflora (Dennst.) Suresh

Abstract

Litsea quinqueflora (Dennst.) Suresh (Loraceae) is a medicinally important plant used by the traditional healers to cure inflammatory ailments. The present study focused on the antioxidant activity of ethyl methyl ketone and methanol extracts of the leaves and quantification of phenols and flavonoids. Antioxidant activity of the leaf extract was assessed by DPPH, CUPRAC and PFRAP assays using L- ascorbic acid as standard. Total phenols were estimated by Folin- Ciocalteu’s method and flavonoids by aluminium chloride method. In DPPH assay, IC 50 value for methanol extract (38.6567µg/ml) was lower than that of ethyl methyl ketone extract (56.8µg/ml). But in CUPRAC and PFRAP assay, EC 50 values are higher for ethyl methyl ketone extract than that of methanol extract. Statistical analysis by means of one way ANOVA with Post hoc Tukey tests gave significant P values in each assay. All measured antioxidant potential values were significant when compared with the standard. Quantification yielded considerable amount of phenolics and flavonoids with gallic acid and quercetin as standards respectively. The above results supported the effective role of leaf extracts of Litsea quinqueflora (Dennst.) Suresh as an antioxidant and could be recommended as an alternative for synthetic antioxidants.