Abstract

SCREENING OF PHYTOCHEMICALS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF DELONIX ELATA L.

B. Amala*, Isaivani Indrakumar and T. V. Poonguzhali

Abstract

Antioxidants are inhibitors in the process of oxidation, even at relatively small concentration and thus have diverse physiological role in the body. The present study was carried out to identify the phytochemicals and evaluate the antioxidant activity of Delonix elata leaves. The antioxidant activity was determined by the method of DPPH radical scavenging assay. The ethanolic extract of the leaves contain terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, phenols, cardioglycosides, quinines, coumarins and tannins. Thus the in vitro study clearly indicates that the ethanolicc extract of D.elata leaves showed significant antioxidant activity and also a better source of natural antioxidant, which might be helpful in preventing the process of various oxidative stresses.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, Delonix elata.