Comparative in Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Methanol Extracts OF Phragmanthera incana Leaves from Guava, Cashew, Mango and Kolanut Trees

Abstract

The therapeutic effects of several plants used in traditional medicine are usually attributed to their antioxidant potential. Phragmanthera incana belonging to the family Loranthaceae is a species of mistletoe commonly found in South-Western part of Nigeria and used ethno-medicinally in the management of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and oxidative stress. This study evaluates and compare the antioxidant potential of methanol extracts of P. incana leaves hemi-parasitic on Guava, Cashew, Mango and Kolanut trees using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC). P. incana leaves from kolanut exhibited a higher DPPH scavenging activity and reduces ferric ion to ferrous ion in a concentration dependent manner when compared with other test extracts while P. incana leaves from guava demonstrated the highest TAC when compared with other test extracts. The antioxidant profile shown by DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP, and TAC of the methanol extracts of P. incana leaves from the selected host trees in a dose dependent manner indicate that the extracts are rich source of antioxidants and can possibly potentiate the antioxidant potential in vivo and could serve as sources of antioxidants for nutritional and therapeutic purposes.