Antioxidant activity and phytochemical screening of the methanol extracts of Euphorbia hirta L.

Asian Pac J Trop Med

Biology Division, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

Published: May 2011

Objective: To assess antioxidant activities of different parts of Euphorbia hirta (E. hirta), and to search for new sources of safe and inexpensive antioxidants.

Methods: Samples of leaves, stems, flowers and roots from E. hirta were tested for total phenolic content, and flavonoids content and in vitro antioxidant activity by diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and reducing power was measured using cyanoferrate method.

Results: The leaves extract exhibited a maximum DPPH scavenging activity of (72.96±0.78)% followed by the flowers, roots and stems whose scavenging activities were (52.45±0.66)%, (48.59±0.97)%, and (44.42±0.94)%, respectively. The standard butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was (75.13±0.75)%. The IC(50) for leaves, flowers, roots, stems and BHT were 0.803, 0.972, 0.989, 1.358 and 0.794 mg/mL, respectively. The reducing power of the leaves extract was comparable with that of ascorbic acid and found to be dose dependent. Leaves extract had the highest total phenolic content [(206.17±1.95) mg GAE/g], followed by flowers, roots and stems extracts which were (117.08±3.10) mg GAE/g, (83.15±1.19) mg GAE/g, and (65.70±1.72) mg GAE/g, respectively. On the other hand, total flavonoids content also from leave had the highest value [(37.970±0.003) mg CEQ/g], followed by flowers, roots and stems extracts which were (35.200±0.002) mg CEQ/g, (24.350±0.006) mg CEQ/g, and (24.120±0.004) mg CEQ/g, respectively. HPTLC bioautography analysis of phenolic and antioxidant substance revealed phenolic compounds. Phytochemical screening of E. hirta leaf extract revealed the presence of reducing sugars, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, tannins, flavanoids and phenolic compounds.

Conclusions: These results suggeste that E. hirta have strong antioxidant potential. Further study is necessary for isolation and characterization of the active antioxidant agents, which can be used to treat various oxidative stress-related diseases.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1995-7645(11)60109-0DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

flowers roots
20
roots stems
16
leaves extract
12
antioxidant activity
8
phytochemical screening
8
euphorbia hirta
8
total phenolic
8
phenolic content
8
flavonoids content
8
reducing power
8

Similar Publications

Background: Calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) proteins play significant roles in signal transduction, growth and development, as well as abiotic stress responses, in plants. Understanding their involvement in the low-temperature stress response of teak is vital for revealing cold resistance mechanisms.

Results: Through bioinformatics analysis, the CAMTA gene family in teak was examined, and six CAMTA genes were identified in teak.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The metal oxide nanoparticles possess unique properties such as biological compatibility, superior reactivity, and capacity to develop reactive oxygen species, due to this they have drawn significant interest in cancer treatment. The various MONPs such as cerium oxide, Copper oxide, Iron oxide, Titanium dioxide, and Zinc oxide have been investigated for several types of cancers including brain, breast, cervical, colon, leukemia, liver, lung, melanoma, ovarian, and prostate cancers. However, traditional physiochemical synthetic methods for MONPs commonly include toxic materials, a major concern that raises questions regarding their biocompatibility and safety.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Some plant species produce an extraordinary diversity of specialized metabolites. The diverse class of terpenes is characteristic for many aromatic plants, and terpenes can occur as both emitted volatiles and stored compounds. Little is known about how intraspecific chemodiversity and phenotypic integration of both emitted volatile and stored terpenes differ intra-individually across plant development and between different plant parts, and studies considering both spatial and temporal scales are scarce.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Somatic Embryogenesis from the Leaf-Derived Calli of In Vitro Shoot-Regenerated Plantlets of 'Carola'.

Plants (Basel)

December 2024

State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.

Roses are one of the most important flowers applied to landscape, cut flowers, fragrance and food industries widely. As an effective method for plant reproduction, the regeneration via somatic embryos is the most promising method for breed improvement and genetic transformation of woody plants. However, lower somatic embryogenesis (SE) induction rates and genotypic constraints impede progress in genetic transformation in rose.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Medicinal Cannabis and the Intestinal Microbiome.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel)

December 2024

Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.

Historically, the multiple uses of cannabis as a medicine, food, and for recreational purposes as a psychoactive drug span several centuries. The various components of the plant (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!