Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Ethanolic Leaves Extract and Its Different Solvent Fractions of Piper betle L. In Vitro

Various diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases are induced by free radicals via lipid peroxidation, protein peroxidation, DNA damage, and cellular degeneration in the cells. Piper betle L., commonly called betel, belongs to the Piperaceae family. It originated from South and South East Asia, and has been used as a traditional medicine by people there due to its medicinal properties. In the present study, free radical scavenging activity of ethanolic leaves extract of Piper betle L. together with its different solvent fractions (hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water) were evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The ethanolic extract and the ethyl acetate fraction had shown very significant DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging activity compared to the other fractions. In DPPH free radical scavenging assay, the IC50 value of the ethanolic extract and the ethyl acetate fraction were found to be 17.43µg/mL and 11.53 µg/mL, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was assumed due to the total phenolic content. The total phenolic content was found to be highest in the ethanol extract (277.68 μg EGCG/mg) and the ethyl acetate fraction (559.38μg EGCG/mg). The results concluded that the ethanolic leaves extract of Piper betle L. and its ethyl acetate fraction have a considerably free radical scavenging activity.Keywords: Piper betle L., Piperaceae, free radical scavenging, DPP