Abstract

EVALUATION OF IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF DIETHYL PHTHALATE ISOLATED FROM DECALEPIS HAMILTONII WIGHT & ARN

K. Kamalakannan, A. Rayar and L. Megala*

Abstract

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit or delay the oxidation processes. Therefore, they are able to protect the human body, foods and drugs from oxidative damages. It acts as free radical scavengers, reducing agents, quenchers of singlet oxygen molecule and activators for antioxidative enzyme to suppress the damage induced by free radicals in biological system. Free radicals play an important role in cell's life and death. It is normally balanced by endogenous antioxidant system. Imbalances in redox status may develop cellular oxidative stress. If the endogenous antioxidants fail to overcome the reactive metabolites production, then exogenous antioxidants would be necessary to balance redox status. Dietary sources, including plants, herbs, spices, vitamins and herbal extracts, play an important role in this regard. Decalepis hamiltonii Wight and Arn is the sole species of plant in the genus Decalepis belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae. It is endemic and endangered species of Peninsular India is commonly known as Magali Kizhangu in Tamil. Structural elucidation of the compound isolated from ethanol extract of Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn seed was accomplished by GC-MS, UV, IR, 1H- NMR and 13C- NMR spectroscopic methods. In the present study, the antioxidative and radicalscavenging activities of the Diethyl phthalate and Methanolic extract were studied using Ferric Thiocyanate (FTC) and Hydrogen peroxide method . MEDEP of the plant exhibited strong antioxidant activity. The results indicate that MEDH contain significant amounts of phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, saponins, phenolic compounds. Based on the findings, Methanolic extract was commonly found to have synergistically higher antioxidant activity.

Keywords: Asclepiadaceae, Decalepis hamiltonii, Diethyl phthalate, Reactive oxygen species, Reactive nitrogen species.