ANTIOXIDANT AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING PROPERTIES OF TYLOPHORA INDICA (BURM. F.) MERRILL AN ANTI-ASTHMATIC PLANT

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant activity of various parts of T. indica. The crude methanolic extracts of T. indica were screened for their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties using 2, 2-diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The overall antioxidant activity of T.indica was strongest in leaf explants (59.25 µg/ml) followed in descending order by callus (95.15 µg/ml), stem (112.50 µg/ml) and root (115.25 µg/ml), respectively. However, IC₅₀ values of different plant parts have also been estimated to exhibit their antioxidant activities and compared with standard ascorbic acid.

The tested plant extracts showed promising antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity, thus justifying their traditional and medicinal uses.

Key words: Ascorbic acid, DPPH, Methanolic extract, Tylophora indica (Burm. f.) Merrill.