SCREENING OF EUPHORBIA HIRTA EXTRACTS FOR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

 Objective: To investigate the total phenol content, the total flavonoid content and    antioxidant properties of Ethanolic and Aqueous extracts of the whole plant of Euphorbia hirta

Methodology: We determined the total phenolic and flavonoid content by using Folin-Coicalteu assays and Aluminium chloride colorimetric method.. In addition, the antioxidant activity of two extracts was tested by DPPH (1, 1’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay.

Results: The total phenol contents in aqueous and ethanol extracts were calculated as 277.64±2.46 and 293.74±2.48, mg/g, respectively. Analysis of the phenolic contents in these extracts of Euphorbia hirta have revealed that the ethanolic extract contained the maximum phenolic content in terms of gallic acid equivalents, than aqueous extract. The total flavonoid content in aqueous and ethanol extracts were calculated as 27.37±0.39 QE mg/g and 41.32±1.69 QE mg/g. The flavonoid contents of ethanol extract had the higher amount of flavonoid contents than aqueous extract. The antioxidant activity of two extracts was tested by DPPH (1,1’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay .  From this result it states that ethanolic extract has a strong percentage of inhibition with lower IC50 value than aqueous  extract. These results indicate that there was a direct correlation between total phenol and antioxidant activity.

Conclusions: The result concludes that the whole plant of Euphorbia hirta  posses antioxidant activity.