title: Evaluation of Antioxidant Potential of Melanthera scandens.
abstract: A methanol extract of dried leaves of Melanthera scandens was examined for antioxidant activities using a variety of assays, including 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, reducing power, ferrous chelating, and ferric thiocyanate methods with ascorbic acid and EDTA as positive controls. The extract showed noticeable activities in most of these in vitro tests. The amount of phenolic compounds in the extract expressed in gallic acid equivalent was found to be 52.8 mg/g. The extract demonstrated inhibition of linoleic acid lipid peroxidation, active reducing power, and DPPH radical scavenging activities which were less than that of the positive controls. The extract also showed weaker iron chelating effect when compared with the EDTA positive control. The present results showed that M. scandens leaf extract possessed antioxidant properties and this plant is a potential useful source of natural antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. asegun67@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sunday Adeleke
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Adesegun
authors.forename: Sukurat Olasumbo
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Alabi
authors.forename: Patricia Taiwo
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Olabanji
authors.forename: Herbert Alexander Babatunde
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Coker
mesh_terms: D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000032:analysis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts