Abstract

IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES, PHENOL AND FLAVONOID CONTENT OF MEMECYLON UMBELLATUM.

Anbukkarasi M., Dhamotharan R. and *Janarthanam B.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the antioxidant activity, total phenol and flavonoid content of the leaf of Memecylon umbellatum collected from four geographically distant regions of Tamil Nadu were examined using extracts of aqueous, ethanol, acetone, chloroform and petroleum ether. The leaf extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activities by DPPH (1,1 – diphenyl -2- picryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging assay. Among four accessions with different solvents used, maximum antioxidant activity was found in ethanolic leaf extract (84.5%) from Cuddalore followed by others. Total phenol and flavonoid content was quantitatively estimated, the ethanolic leaf extract of Memecylon umbellatum was found maximum in Cuddalore accession (31.42 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/g and 12. 21 mg Quercetin Equivalents (QE) /g). The powerful antioxidant activity is attributed to the greater amount of total phenol and flavonoid compound in the ethanolic leaf extract of Memecylon umbellatum.

Keywords: Memecylon umbellatum, antioxidant activity, DPPH, phenol and flavonoid.