Assessment of Antioxidative Potential of Prosopis Cineraria Pods

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the antioxidative potential of P. cineraria pods extract (PCE) known to be rich in phenolics and flavonoids. Since the P. cineraria plant has long been regarded as a plant rich in nutraceuticals and used as food.  The trees provide fuel, fodder, food, little timbers, medicines, gum and tannins. It has been used since ages by humans as a traditional therapeutic food to boost immunity to infectious pathogens. The antioxidant activity was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The results of DPPH assay in ethanolic extract of PCE showed that the scavenging of the free radicals was 28.74%, 57.67% and 94.12% at 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/ml respectively. The IC₅₀ of ascorbic acid calculated was 0.092 mg/ml in the DPPH assay.   P. cineraria had the highest total phenolic content 372.25 mg/gm estimated in terms of Gallic acid equivalent.  The total flavonoid content in the extract was 152.79 mg/gm. This study indicated that PCE exhibited the highest antioxidant contents of flavonoids and phenols which can be potentially used as a readily accessible source of natural antioxidants by human beings.