JOURNAL OF ASIAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF PHARMACY - Volume 2, January - December, 2013

Pages: 254-261
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Screening of antioxidant activity of vegetables in Thailand

Author: Wanwimon Suksamerkun, Sukhathai Thongsomchitt, Yuvadee Wongkrajang, Rungravi Temsiririrkkul, Worawan Kitphati, Suchitra Thongpraditchote

Category: Pharmacy

Abstract:

The methanolic extracts of ten Thai vegetables from the leaves of Litsea elliptica Blume, Callerya atropurpurea (Wall.) A. M. Schot, Horaphanam (Limnophila sp.), Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Desv. Young, Kaempferia galanga L., Cucurbita moshata Decne, Allophylus cobbe (L) Raeusch and Manihot esculenta (L) Crantz, rhizomes of Alpinia oxymitrum K. Schum. and roots of Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith were investigated for antioxidant activities and total phenolic contents. The antioxidant activities of these extracts were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Total phenolic content was evaluated according to the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure. Among the investigated Thai vegetables, the extract from leaves of L. elliptica showed the highest free radical scavenging power with IC50 value of 4.2 µg/ml and the most potent reducing power of 2.02 mmol FeSO4 per g of extract as well as the highest amount of phenolic contents of 11.059 g of gallic acid per 100 g of extract. The results indicated that the antioxidant activity was correlated well with the total phenolic contents suggesting that the phenolic compounds might play a major contribution to free radicals scavenging activity of the studied plants.

Keywords: antioxidant activity DPPH FRAP total phenolic content Litsea elliptica Callerya atropurpurea Sesbania grandiflora Kaempferia galangal Cucurbita moschata Manihot esculenta Alpinia oxymitrum Zingiber zerumbet Allophylus cobbe