Cotinus coggyria: a rich source of antioxidants

ABSTRACT

Methanolic extract of Cotinus coggyria Scop. was mixed in distilled water and partitioned first with the n-hexane, then with chloroform, then ethyl acetate and at the end with n-butanol. The phytochemical screening of plant showed presence of the phenolics, cardiac glycosides and flavonoides in large amount in the chloroform, n-butanol and ethyl acetate soluble fraction. Antioxidant activity of these four fractions and the left behind aqueous fraction was measured by four methods such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] free radical scavenging activity, ferric thiocyanate assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP] assay and total antioxidant activity. Total phenolics were also measured. Noteworthy antioxidant potential was shown by the chloroform, n-butanol and ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed. Ethyl acetate fraction showed highest% inhibition of the DPPH radical when compared with the other studied fractions i.e. 81.64 +/- 1.29% inhibition of the DPPH radical at the concentration of 30 microg/ml. Its IC[50] value was found to be 15.58 +/- 0.09 microg/ml, comparative to the butylated hydroxytoluene [BHT], which has IC[50] value 12.6 +/- 0.85microg/mL. This fraction also showed the highest lipid peroxidation inhibition [61.41 +/- 1.16%], as well as highest values of FRAP [697.76 +/- 1.98 microg of trolox equivalents] total antioxidant activity [1.02 +/- 0.09] and total phenolic contents [229.34 +/- 0.57] comparative to the other studied fractions. The chloroform and n-butanol soluble fraction also showed good results for all the studied antioxidant assays