Abstract

STUDIES ON PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ETHIOPIAN INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS, ARTEMISIA ABYSSINICA SCH.BIP. EX A.RICH

Neethu Letha, Kumar Ganesan, Suresh Kumar P. Nair, Henok Gulilat Azalewor, Sharmila Banu Gani*

Abstract

Artemisia abyssinica Sch. Bip. ex A. Rich (Family- Asteraceae; Chikugn-Amharic) has a popular traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases especially among the South-Western people of Ethiopia. The present study was undertaken to find the phytochemical screening and antioxidant potential of A.abyssinica leaves and stem by aqueous, methanol and hexane solvents. Preliminary phytochemical investigation was carried out on three extracts by prescribed standard methods. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and tannins. The fraction inhibition of lipid peroxide at the first stage of oxidation illustrated antioxidant activity of A.abyssinica leaves and stem as 90% and 88% compared to those of gallic acid (97%) and BHT (84%) respectively. The results of the present study revealed that A.abyssinica leaves and stem extracts have a significant antioxidant capacity and could be expressed as source of antioxidant components.

Keywords: A.abyssinica, phytochemicals, Antioxidant activity, traditional medicine.