Abstract

Anusree S.*, Rakesh Kumar Jat and Sheeba Jasmine T. S.

ABSTRACT

The present study was aimed to evaluate the phytochemical and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of the different extracts of aerial parts of Elephantopus scaber plant. Initially, the plant material was collected authenticated and dried for powdering. The dried material was powdered in mechanical grinder and the coarse powder thus obtained was extracted in soxhlet apparatus with the solvents of increasing polarity viz., petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. The dried extracts thus obtained were subjected to preliminary phytochemical evaluation. In vitro antioxidant activity of all the extracts was evaluated by DPPH, reducing power assay, superoxide, nitric oxide and hydroxyl free radical scavenging assay methods and the in vitro anti-inflammatory was evaluated by inhibition of protein denaturation, proteinase inhibitory activity and human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization assay. The results of preliminary phytochemical evaluation revealed the presence of glycosides, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates, protein, sterol and saponins in the tested extracts. The methanol and ethyl acetate extracts showed a significant presence of majority of phytochemicals comparing with other two, the petroleum ether, chloroform extracts. The methanol extract showed significant activity in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory evaluation. These results are useful for further investigation in the future.