PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF EUPHORBIA HETEROPHYLLA L

Objectives: The present study is to evaluate the preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant potential of Euphorbia heterophylla L. Methods: In vitro free radical scavenging activity of the chosen plant was evaluated by the methods such as DPPH (1, 1-Diphenyl -2-picrylhydrazyl), reducing power assay, Nitric oxide radical scavenging assay, Hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay (H2O2) and superoxide scavenging assay. Preliminary phytochemical screening and quantification of total phenol, ascorbic acid and organic compounds were also studied. Results: The results showed that the aqueous extract of Euphorbia heterophylla L. has potent antioxidant activities as evidenced by the IC50 values obtained in DPPH (141.11±4.23µg/ml), Hydrogen peroxide (510.03±2.45µg/ml), Superoxide radical (596.94±1.98µg/ml), reducing power (258.08±3.21µg/ml), Nitric oxide (596.94±6.02µg/ml) scavenging assays. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract of the plant shows the presence of various secondary metabolites such as alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, saponin, sterol, quinone, lignin and coumarin. The carbohydrate (10.29 mg/g), proteins (7.43 mg/g), were present in measurable amount and was considered to be responsible for the nutritional facts and the phenol (3.26mg/g) and ascorbic acid (1.14%) content attribute to its antioxidant activities. Conclusion: The results of the present study concluded that the aqueous extract of Euphorbia heterophylla L. posses the antioxidant activity