Evaluation Of In Vitro Antioxidant And Cytotoxic Effect Of Methanol Extract From Aerial Parts Of Myristica Beddomei King Ssp. Ustulata W.J. De Wilde

Plants are traditionally used for pharmacological activities because of its ability to produce bioactive compounds. Myristica beddomei King ssp. ustulata W.J. de Wilde is an ethnomedicinal plant and it is seen in South Western Ghats of Kerala, India. The present study assessed the phenolic content, flavonoid concentration, in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic effect of different parts of Myristica beddomei King. The total phenolic contents in the extracts ranged from 96.29 (pericarp) to 314.47 (bark) mg g-1 gallic acid equivalent. The concentration of flavonoids in different plant part extracts ranged from 1.81 to 2.76 mg g-1 equivalent to quercetin. All the parts exhibited potential antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 2.87 to 9.67 μg ml-1 when compared to the standard ascorbic acid with an IC50 value of 2 μg ml-1 in 1,1-diphenyl-2- picryl-hidrasil (DPPH) method. Bark showed highest activity in terms of DPPH radical scavenging (IC50 value of 2.87 µg ml-1), phosphomolybdenum test (2261.33 ± 1.65 mg g-1 trolox equivalent) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (113.1 ± 0.28 µmol Fe2+ µg-1) while pericarp showed low antioxidant activity. The in vitro screening results revealed that the seeds exhibited promising anticancer activity compared to PA1 (Ovarian Cancer) cells (50 % inhibition) were observed at a concentration 100.68 µg ml-1. In cytotoxicity test L929 (Fibroblast) cell line compared to the other parts pericarp, mace and seed needed higher concentration (>240 µg ml-1) for LC50 value. It is a promising plant for further development of antioxidant agent as it got high content of phenolic compounds and potential antioxidant and anticancer activity.

Comparison of Total Flavonoid, Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity in Leaf and Seed Extracts from White Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum).

Ocimum sanctum, commonly known as the white holy basil herb belonging to Lamiaceae family is one of the oldest and popular medicinal plant rich in various phytonutrients and antioxidants. In this study, the comparative evaluation of flavonoids, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity was carried out in methanolic extract prepared from O. sanctum leaves and seeds. The TAC, TPC, and the TFC were measured by ammonium molybdate, Folin-Ciocalteau and aluminum chloride method respectively. Antioxidant activity was also determined by using DPPH and FRAP assay. In response to the above assays, TACs of O. sanctum leaf and seed extracts were 25-248 and 0.011-0.109 μg AAE/10 mg of extract respectively. The TFC assay showed that leaf extract of O. sanctum (14- 225 μg QE/10mg extract) had higher flavonoid content than the seed extract (0.009-0.119 μg QE/10 mg extract) and the TPC assay in the leaf extract (4.49-9.31 μg GAE/mg extract) was higher than those present in seed (4.10-9.05 μg GAE/mg extract). In DPPH assay, % inhibition in O. sanctum leaf extract was determined in the range 18-76% while in seed extract it was 6-29% and in FRAP assay, leaf extract displayed reducing power in range 0.48- 5.50 μg FSE /mg extract while in seed extract it was 0.16-5.46 μg FSE /mg extract. It was observed that O. sanctum leaf extract had high total phenolic and flavonoid content in addition to antioxidant capacity as compared to its seed extract. Abbreviations: TAC: Total Antioxidant Capacity TPC: Total Phenolic Content TFC: Total Flavonoid Content DPPH: 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl FRAP: Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power

Effect of Aframomum melegueta on carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury.

This present study was performed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Aframomum melegueta seeds, used as spicy in the traditional conditions. The hepatoprotective activity of the seeds of A. melegueta at 100 and 150 mgEq.pp/kg, administered orally, was assessed using carbon tetrachloride-induced (CCl4) liver damage (1 ml/kg bw 1:1 CCl4 and corn oil). The results obtained from this study show that A. melegueta produced a significant decrease in serum transaminases and alkaline phosphatase. At the dose of 150 mg Eq.pp/kg, A. melegueta induced a significant increase in serum total proteins. Liver and serum antioxidant potentials were also significantly increased. Those results indicate that A. melegueta seeds protect the liver against toxicity induced in this study.

Assay of antioxidant potential of two Aspergillus isolates by different methods under various physio-chemical conditions

The objective of this work was to screen fungi isolated from soil of different areas of Punjab, India for antioxidant activity by dot blot assay and around 45 percent of fungal isolates demonstrated antioxidant potential. Two selected strains of Aspergillus spp (Aspergillus PR78 and Aspergillus PR66) showing quantitatively best antioxidant activity by DPPH assay were further tested for their reducing power, ferrous ion and nitric oxide ion scavenging activity, FRAP assay and total phenolic content. Different physio-chemical parameters were optimized for enhancement of the activity. This revealed stationary culture grown for 10 days at 25ºC at pH 7 to be the best for antioxidant activity. Sucrose in the medium as carbon source resulted in highest antioxidant activity. Sodium nitrate, yeast extract, and peptone were good sources of nitrogen but sodium nitrate was the best among these. The extraction of the broth culture filtrates with different solvents revealed ethyl acetate extract to possess the best antioxidant activity. The activity as expressed by ethyl acetate extract of Aspergillus PR78 was equally effective as that of commonly used antioxidant standard, ascorbic acid.