Evaluation Of Antioxidant Activities And Free Radical Scavenging Properties In Mango Leaves, Husks Of Areca And Coconut

Numerous plant phenolics are identified as potent antioxidants, capable of scavenging deleterious reactive species such as superoxide anions, singlet oxygen, hydroxy radicals, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. In addition to radical-scavenging and reducing power, plant phenolics are known to induce antioxidant action. In this study, an attempt was made to evaluate the antioxidant activities and free radical scavenging properties in mango leaves, husks of areca and coconut. Hundred grams of the plant powder was extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus with 500 ml of ethanol as solvent and concentrated using a rotor-evaporator. Plant extracts were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and subjected to standard antioxidant assays. The final concentrations used for the study were 10 mg/ml, 20mg/ml, 40mg/ml and 80mg/ml. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, diphenylpicryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, nitric oxide radical (NO) scavenging assay, superoxide radical scavenging assay and reducing power assay were performed. When analysed, all plant materials exhibited efficient free radical scavenging activity in the order mango leaf > coconut husk > areca husk. Hydroxyl radical and super oxide radical scavenging activity and reducing power of both mango leaf and coconut husk were comparable to each other, in fact, mango leaf exhibited better NO and DPPH scavenging activity than coconut husk. In all assays performed, activity of areca husk was found to be relatively less.