ABSTRACT:
Antioxidant is a substance capable of inhibiting oxidation, which can neutralize free radicals before they can do harm and may help undo some damage already caused to specific cells. The present study deals with solvent extraction in increasing order of polarity and aimed to investigate the antioxidant activity. Alcoholic, successive methanolic, successive benzene, successive chloroform and aqueous extracts of tubers of Arisaema leschenaultti Blume. (Araceae) were screened for antioxidant activity. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the various extracts obtained was done in view to know the various classes of chemical constituents i.e. primary and secondary metabolites. Phytochemical analysis reveals that the tuber contains carbohydrates, phenolic compounds and tannins, proteins and amino acid and glycosides. Various invitro models were applied to evaluate antioxidant potential of these extracts. Invitro studies include Free Radical Scavenging Capacity (RSC) on DPPH radicals, Scavenging capacity for hydroxyl radicals by measuring the degradation of 2-deoxyribose with OH radicals, generated in Fenton reaction and Total antioxidant capacity. Ascorbic acid and Butylated Hydroxyl Toluene (BHT) were used as standards. The total alcoholic extract showed the maximum free radical scavenging capacity as compared to other extracts were also comparable with that of standard.