COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF METHANOLEXTRACT AND FLAVONOID FRACTION OF NYCTANTHES ARBORTRISTIS LEAVES

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of methanol extract and flavonoid fraction of leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis using 1, 1 -Diphenyl Picryl Hydrazyl (DPPH) quenching assay and ferric reducing power capacity. The samples were tested at 1000, 500, 250, 125, 62.5 and 31.75 ^g/ml concentrations. The methanol extract and flavonoid fraction exhibited potential DPPH scavenging activity with IC50 values of 63.6±0.29 and 61.9±0.15 ^g/ml respectively and strong reducing power activity (0.969±0.008 and 1.502±0.0210 at 1000 ^g/ml respectively). The medicinal claims of the plant being used in the treatment of inflammation and hepatopathy may be in part due to the antioxidant activity. Further isolation of antioxidant flavonoids is warranted.