ABSTRACT
Aim: Spathodea campanulata is a medicinal plant useful in traditional medicine for the treatment and prevention of some diseases of bacterial and non microbial origins. As a result of this, it becomes very important to investigate the phytochemical and antioxidant (in vitro and in vivo) activities of the plant leaf extracts by chemical methods to ascertain its potential role in folklore medicine. Study Design: In vitro and in vivo by chemical methods. Methodology: 1.5 kg each of S. campanulata air dried leaves ground to powder was extracted separately with ethanol, methanol and petroleum ether at room temperature (25±2°C). Results: The leaf extracts showed qualitatively the presence of saponin, steroid, flavonoids, glycoside, alkaloids, phenol, tannin, terpenoids, phlobatanin and antraquinone. Amount of quantitative phytochemicals screened from the extracts was more in ethanol followed by aqueous, methanol and was least in petroleum ether. Valuable in vitro antioxidant activities were exhibited by the aqueous, ethanol, methanol and petroleum ether extracts in free radical (DPPH), hydroxyl scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant properties. Decrease in values was observed in the in vivo antioxidant assay of glutathione and catalase levels in group of mice infected with Salmonella typhi for three days while there was increase in lipid peroxidation on comparison with negative control value. However improvement in enzymatic antioxidant levels of mice was observed when treated with the plant ethanol leaf extract. The recorded data in the study proposed the use of leaf extract of S. campanulata in traditional medicine hence its inhibition potentials and barrier to generation of free radicals.