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Research Journal of Medicinal Plants

Year: 2015 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 5 | Page No.: 215-226
DOI: 10.17311/rjmp.2015.215.226
In vitro Antioxidant and Free Radical Activity of Some Nigerian Medicinal Plants: Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina L.) and Guava (Psidium guajava Del.)
U.B. Ekaluo, E.V. Ikpeme, E.E. Ekerette and C.I. Chukwu

Abstract: This study was aimed at assessing antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) and guava (Psidium guajava) leaf in different extracting solvents (absolute ethanol, 70% ethanol and 50% ethanol) via in vitro assays including; Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging, metal chelating activity, reducing power and total antioxidant capacity. The results obtained indicated that both medicinal plants are antioxidant reservoir. The TPC and TFC of P. guajava was more in all the extracting solvents compared to V. amygdalina. The Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) of P. guajava for DPPH radical scavenging were; absolute ethanol (1.564 μg mL-1), 70% ethanol (1.723 μg mL-1), 50% ethanol (4.102 μg mL-1) while V. amygdalina were; absolute ethanol (33.18 μg mL-1), 70% ethanol (56.21 μg mL-1), 50% ethanol (73.46 μg mL-1). Both DPPH radical scavenging and metal chelating activities of the two medicinal plants were dependent on the amount of phenols and flavonoids in the extract. The absorbance values for both reducing power and total antioxidant capacity of the two extracts also indicated their antioxidant potentials. Thus, the results obtained from the current study are indications of the possible use of the two plants in combating free radical related diseases often orchestrated by oxidative stress conditions, especially P. guajava since it showed more antioxidant activities than V. amygdalina following the in vitro results.

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How to cite this article
U.B. Ekaluo, E.V. Ikpeme, E.E. Ekerette and C.I. Chukwu, 2015. In vitro Antioxidant and Free Radical Activity of Some Nigerian Medicinal Plants: Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina L.) and Guava (Psidium guajava Del.). Research Journal of Medicinal Plants, 9: 215-226.

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