In VitroStudy on the Antioxidant Potentials of the Leaves and Fruits ofNauclea latifolia

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate thein vitroantioxidant potentials of the leaves and fruits ofNauclea latifolia, a straggling shrub or small tree, native to tropical Africa and Asia. Hot water extracts of the leaves and fruits ofNauclea latifoliawere assessed for their total polyphenolic, flavanol, and flavonol contents as well as 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalence antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. The aqueous extract of the leaves was found to contain higher level of total polyphenols (11.63±0.023 mg GAE/g), flavanol (1.45±0.10 mg CE/g), and flavonol (2.22±0.37 mg QE/g) than the extract of the fruits with values of1.75±0.02 mg GAE/g (total polyphenol),0.15±0.01 mg CE/g (flavanol), and1.00±0.13 mg QE/g (flavonol). Similarly, the aqueous extract of the leaves also exhibited higher DPPH (IC5020.64 mg/mL), FRAP (86.10±3.46 μmol AAE/g), TEAC (94.83±3.57 μmol TE/g), and ORAC (196.55±0.073 μmol TE/g) than the extract of the fruits with DPPH (IC50120.33 mg/mL), FRAP (12.23±0.40 μmol AAE/g), TEAC (12.48±0.21 μmol TE/g), and ORAC (58.88±0.073 μmol TE/g). The present study showed thatNauclea latifoliahas strong antioxidant potentials with the leaves demonstrating higherin vitroantioxidant activities than the fruits.