RESUMO
The free radical scavenging potential of the plant S. indicus was studied by using different antioxidant models of screening. The ethanolic extract at 1000 microg/ml showed maximum scavenging of the radical cation, 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) observed upto 41.99% followed by the scavenging of the stable radical 1,1-diphenyl, 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) (33.27%), superoxide dismutase (25.14%) and nitric oxide radical (22.36%) at the same concentration. However, the extract showed only moderate scavenging activity of iron chelation (14.2%). Total antioxidant capacity of the extract was found to be 160.85 nmol/g ascorbic acid. The results justify the therapeutic applications of the plant in the indigenous system of medicine, augmenting its therapeutic value.