Radical Scavenging activity and phytochemical screening of the leaf extract of Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Daniell

Awotedu BF 1, *, Omolola TO 1, Akala AO 1, Ogunsiji AO 1, Owoeye EA 2 and Olaoti-Laaro SO 3

1 Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, P.M.B 5054, Jericho hills, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
2 Moist Forest Research Station, Benin City, Edo State, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria.
3 Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Derived guinea savannah research station Ogbomosho, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
 
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2021, 10(03), 069–076
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2021.10.3.0241
 
Publication history: 
Received on 25 February 2021; revised on 06 June 2021; accepted on 10 June 2021
 
Abstract: 
Antioxidants are chemicals that possess bioactive constituents which usually allow them to fight against free radicals. Antioxidant and phytochemicals properties of the leaves of Synsepalum dulcificum were investigated using ethyl-acetate, ethanol and methanol extracts. 2, 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, total antioxidant activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total flavonoid and the total phenolic content was carried out. The phytochemical screening assay was done on the following: Alkaloids, saponin, flavonoids, tannin, anthraquinones, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and phlobatannin using the test solvent extracts. The results gotten for antioxidant revealed that methanol gave the highest extract yield (17.4%) while ethyl-acetate extract had the least yield (5.0%). At 250 μg/ml extract concentration, the methanolic extract gave the highest amount with the IC50 values (89.94 μg/ml), followed by ethanol extract (68.20 μg/ml)) while ethyl acetate extract had the least scavenging activity of (39.21 μg/ml), and these were significantly different (P<0.05). Total antioxidant activity (ascorbic acid equivalent) at 250 μg/ml of S. dulcificum ranged from 41.7 AAE in ethyl-acetate extract to 58.98 AAE in methanol extract. Furthermore, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the leaf extracts revealed that at 250 μg/ml extract concentration, methanol extract had the highest (0.29μmolFe2+/g) reduction potential, followed by ethanol extract (0.28μmolFe2+/g) and ethyl-acetate extract (0.26μmolFe2+/g). The total phenolic content of the extracts ranged from 0.02μg/ml TAE–0.09μg/ml TAE at 1000μg/ml extract concentration while the total flavonoid content ranged from 0.32mg/g QE in ethyl-acetate extract to 14.38mg/g QE in methanol extract. This study suggests that S. dulcificum extract exhibit great potential antioxidant ability that could fight against oxidative stress.
 
Keywords: 
Synsepalum dulcificum; Antioxidant; Phytochemical; Free radical; Scavengers
 
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