Antioxidant studies of aqueous extract of Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir

Free radicals are implicated for many diseases including Diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cancer, ageing. etc. In treatment of these diseases, antioxidant therapy has gained utmost importance. Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir (Euphrobiaceae) popularly known as 'potato-bush' is an important medicinal plant and useful in burning sensation, strangury, gastropathy, ophthalmodynia, burns, diarrhoea, skin eruption, diabetes and obesity. Keeping in view of the cited activity, it is contemplated to screen the plant for in vitro antioxidant activity using different models viz. DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging, iron chelating activity and lipid peroxidation assay, nitric oxide scavenging assay, alkaline DMSO assay, total antioxidant capacity and non-enzymatic haemoglobin glycosylation assay . The results were analyzed statistically by regression method. Its antioxidant activity was estimated by IC50 value and the values are 20.36 μgm/ml (DPPH radical scavenging), 42.59 μgm/ml (ABTS radical scavenging), 32 μgm/ml (Iron chelating activity) and 41.91 μgm/ml (lipid peroxidation), 122.8 μgm/ ml (nitric oxide scavenging) and 2.57 μgm/ml (alkaline DMSO). In total antioxidant capacity assay, 1 mg of extract is equivalent to 51 μg of ascorbic acid. It showed 66.64% inhibition of haemoglobin glycosylation. In all the testing, a significant correlation existed between concentrations of the extract and percentage inhibition of free radicals, metal chelation or inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The antioxidant property may be related to the polyphenols and flavonoids present in the extract. These results clearly indicate that Phyllanthus reticulatus is effective against free radical mediated diseases.