IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT AND PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF DENNETTIA TRIPETALA SEED

Abstract

This study evaluates the total phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids and steroids contents as well as the antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract of Dennettia tripetalaseeds. The extract of D. tripetalawas investigatedfor its phytochemical constituentssuch as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, tannins and steroids,and its in vitro antioxidant activities using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and reducing power assay. The results obtained reveals the following; total phenolics (8.42±0.00), flavonoids (1.62±0.00), saponins (5.00±0.52), tannins (2.64±0.15), alkaloids (8.10±0.32), while steroids and cardiac glycoside were not detected. The aqueous extract of D. tripetalaseeds has 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value for radical scavenging activity of 3.78 ?g/ml which was significantly higher than that of vitamin C (0.052?g/ml). The extract has a significantly higher concentration of total phenol and flavonoid compared to their various standards. However, steroids and cardiac glycosides were not detected.D. tripetalaseeds have the potential for use as natural antioxidants against free radical damage