Abstract

ANTIOXIDANT AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF PEPEROMIA PELLUCIDA (L.) KUNTH: AN IN VITRO STUDY

*Merlin Mathew and Jyoti Harindran

Abstract

Aim: The study was designed to investigate the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of whole plant of Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth. Methods: Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract was estimated using superoxide radical scavenging and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was measured out by the ability of different concentrations of ethanolic extract to scavenge hydroxyl radicals generated from the Fe3+/ ascorbate /EDTA/H2O2 system. Superoxide anions are derived from dissolved oxygen by riboflavin/NADH system and reduce NBT in this system. Superoxide radical scavenging assay was carried out by the competition between NBT and ethanolic extract for superoxide anions. Ascorbic acid and Gallic acids were used as the standards. Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the ethanolic extract of P.pellucida possesses flavonoids, glycosides, carbohydrates, steroids, triterpenoids, proteins and phenolic compounds. At 500μg/ml concentration, ethanolic extract showed 72.1% inhibition in hydroxyl radical, with an IC50 value of 191.67μg/ml whereas that of Gallic acid with an inhibition of 84.05% and IC50 value of 116.46μg/ml. Also at 500μg/ml concentration, ethanolic extract and Ascorbic acid showed 71.17% and 90.65% inhibition in superoxide radical with an IC50 value of 273.51 and 192.55μg/ml. Ethanolic extract showed significant antioxidant activity in both hydroxyl radical scavenging and as well as in superoxide radical scavenging activity in dose dependent manner. Conclusion: Findings in the present study indicated that ethanolic extract of Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth extract could be a potential source of natural antioxidant and can be explored as a therapeutic agent in free radical induced diseases.

Keywords: Peperomia pellucida (L.), Ethanolic, hydroxyl radical.