In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Fresh and Shade Dried Tamarindus Indica Leaves using Different Solvents

Abstract

Objective: The present study was aimed to ascertain the antioxidant status of different solvent leaf extracts of Tamarindus indica leaves and its potential for scavenging free radical species in the body and by the determination of their total phenolics content. Methods: The different solvent plant extract was screened for possible antioxidant activities by the determination of total phenolic content by using Folin – Ciocalten reagent method and 2, 2diphenyl 1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. Results: The results of this study revealed that, the percentage inhibition of different extracts of water (WE) and hydroalcoholic (HAE) of Tamarindus indica was concentration dependent with an effective concentration at fifty percent of 79.49 µg/ml and 82.96 µg/ml compared to that of standard with IC 50 of 77.08 µg/ml, but the petroleum ether (PEE) and chloroform (CE) extracts revealed a very poor antioxidant activity (significantly lower IC 50 values = 144.17µg/ml and 279.74µ/ml). Conclusion: The antioxidant screening results indicate that exciting DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed in water and hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Tamarindus indica in comparison with standard ascorbic acid. This suggests that T. indica extracts exhibit a great potential for antioxidant activity and may be useful for their future nutritional and medicinal developments.