Abstract

COMPARATIVE FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT FRACTIONS OF CINNAMOMUM TAMALA LEAVES IN CHEMICAL SYSTEM

Jitendra Chaurasia*

Abstract

The leaves of Cinnamomum tamala (Lauraceae), known as tejpatta used as spices for flavour purposes in Indian houses. The antioxidant property of the leaves is known, but here, we compare free radical scavenging activity of various fractions extracted in different organic solvents such as hexane (CTH) Ethyl acetate (CTEA), and methanol (CTE) sequentially and total methanolic fractions (CTT) and compared with their reducing capacity. For this purpose, dried powder of CT leaves was extracted with different solvents, and solvent-free extracts were prepared and dissolved in desirable solvents. Their free radical scavenging activity was determined at different parameters. Total antioxidant capacity was determined using an ABTS+ assay, Lipid peroxidation was assessed in terms of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances by using egg-yolk homogenates as lipid-rich media, Superoxide radical scavenging was measured using riboflavin-lightnitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay and Hydroxyl radical trapping potential was determined by evaluating hydroxyl radical-induced deoxyribose degradation using the thiobarbituric acid method. All the fractions show antioxidant properties but not polar fraction (CTH) was found to be more potent than others. The activity is related to their reducing potential.

Keywords: Free radicals, Cinnamomum tamala, antioxidant, Lipid peroxidation, Superoxide radicals, Reducing potential.