In vitro antioxidative property of polyphenols present in two common aquatic leafy vegetables

Department of Botany, Lady Braboume College, P-1/2, Suhrawardy Avenue, Kolkata-700 017, India Department of Physiology, Hooghly Mohsin College, Chinsurah, Hooghly, West Bengal, India Department of Chemical Technology, University College of Science and Technology, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Kolkata-700 009, India E-mail: santinathghosh@yahoo.com.hk Fax: 91-33-23519755 Manuscript received 25 June 2008. accepted 16 Seotember 2008 Enydra fluctuans Lour. (Hinche or helencha) and Ipomea aquatica Forssk. (Kalmisak) are traditionally consumed as leafy vegetables by the Indians. But little is known about Its potential as sources of antioxidants. The 80% methanol extraction of these two vegetables showed the polyphenol content of 30.7 and 18.42 mg per g of dry matter. Both the extracts have shown reducing activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity and prolonged ABTS•+ radical scavenging activity. The result of the study Indicates that the above vegetables are rich In active polyphenolic antioxidants, which are very much Important from nutritional point of view