THE COMPARATIVE FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING EFFECT OF FICUS RELIGIOSA, AEGLE MARMELOS AND BUTEA MONOSPERMA

Natural products have played crucial role in drug discovery and development. They are capable ofcombating free radicals mediated diseases. The most important of these bioactive constituents of natural products or plants are phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, glycoside and saponins. Phenols, flavonoids are known to possess wide range of biological activities like antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study was performed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity of Ficus religiosa, Aegle marmelos and Butea monosperma against free radical damage using different standard methods such as DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay and reducing power assay. Results of present study showed that F.religiosa extract had higher DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50: 36.48 μg/ml) followed with A. marmelos (IC50: 40.41 μg/ml) and B. monosperma (IC50: 55.45 μg/ml) respectively. Similarly, in case of H2O2 radical scavenging assay, highest antioxidant activity was found in F. religiosa. . The total phenolic content of extract was found to be higher in Ficus religiosa (213.0±0.721 mg/gm GAE) then Aegle marmelos and Butea monosperma (191.6±1.058 and 174.7±1.007).The results support local claims of their therapeutic uses in folklore medicine. In conclusion, all three i.e. F. religiosa, A. marmelos and B.monosperma plant extracts could serve as free radical scavengers, can be considered as potent antioxidants. Their activity may be attributed to high phenolic and flavonoid contents