Phytochemical content and antioxidant potential of Clerodendrum inerme and its different parts-A comparative study

Abstract

Medicinal plants are excellent sources for phytochemicals, mostly polyphenols, flavonoids which exhibit high antioxidant activity. The therapeutic efficacy of these antioxidants for specific pharmacological actions has also been established by experimental and clinical studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of different parts of Clerodendrum inerme in a series of in vitro assays in order to find possible sources of antioxidants in food and pharmaceutical formulations. The whole plant of C. inerme and its different parts were extracted by cold and hot extraction methods with 95% ethanol and subsequently evaluated for phytochemical and in vitro antioxidant screening. The total antioxidant capacity of leaf extracts was found to be 10.41±0.321 mg AAE/g dw and the ferric reducing power was found to be 45.39±3.563 mg AAE/g dw. The IC 50 values for free radicals scavenging were found to be lowest in case of leaf extracts compared to other extracts; for DPPH (30.93±0.6569 μg/ml), H 2 O 2 (37.37±1.107 μg/ml), Super oxide (44.10±1.177 μg/ml) and lipid peroxidation (29.32±1.106 μg/ml). The data from present results revealed that C. inerme act as an antioxidant agent due to its free radical scavenging activity and can be utilised as an effective and safe source of functional food materials such as natural antioxidants.