Assessment of Comparative in-vitro antioxidant potential of Asparagus racemosus, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Piper betle and Withania somnifera extracts

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess and compare the in vitro antioxidant potential of ethanolic extracts of Asparagus racemosus, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Piper betle, and Withania somnifera using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Extracts were tested at concentrations ranging from 10 to 500 µg/ml, with ascorbic acid serving as the reference standard. All extracts exhibited concentration-dependent radical scavenging activity, with significant differences (p<0.01) observed between species. P. betle consistently demonstrated the highest activity across all concentrations, achieving 90.64±0.31% inhibition at 500 µg/ml, followed by A. racemosus (89.17±0.30%) and G. glabra (85.57±0.34%). W. somnifera showed the lowest activity (79.15±0.33% at 500 µg/ml). The results suggest that the superior antioxidant activity of P. betle and A. racemosus may be linked to their higher phenolic and flavonoid content. These findings highlight the potential application of these medicinal plants as natural antioxidant agents in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations, warranting further investigation into their bioactive compounds and in vivo efficacy.