In-vitro antioxidant profile and reducing power of five medicinal plants of Manipur having anti-inflammatory properties

Antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts of five medicinal plants (Debregeasia longifolia, Colocasia gigantean, Houttuynia cordata, Oenanthe javanica and Solanum xanthocarpum) of Manipur having anti-inflammatory properties was investigated by using DPPH method. The DPPH scavenging activity of the five medicinal plants ranged from 38.61±0.01% to 65.41±0.163% inhibition. The phytochemical contents like total alkaloids, total flavonoids, total phenol, total carotenoids content ranged from 10.98±0.01 to 20.55±0.005mg caffeine /100g on dry weight, 11.26±0.11 to 106.68±0.04 mg quercetin (QE)/100g on dry weight, 72.11±0.05 to 228.87±0.01 mg catechol equivalents (CE)/100g on dry weight, 0.26±0.005 to 2.56±0.01 mg/100g respectively. Pearson correlation revealed a positive correlation between total phenol content, total flavonoids content, total carotenoids content and free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) of five medicinal plants extracts. However a negative correlation was found between total alkaloids content and free radical scavenging activity of medicinal plants extracts. The reducing power of the medicinal plants extracts was statistically significant and positively correlated with DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The present study revealed that the plants with higher antioxidant activity (DPPH) showed high absorbance which indicates more reducing power.