2017, Vol. 5, Issue 1, Part B

author(s)
Chethana Galketiya, T Sampath Weerarathna, J Chamini Punchihewa, M Nirmali Wickramaratne and DBM Wickramaratne

abstract
Antioxidants play an important role in reducing oxidative damage to tissues, and therefore they are used in treating and preventing many diseases. Use of natural antioxidants in the form of edible greens in daily meals or as ayurvedic decoctions are encouraged due to its cost effectiveness and effectivity. The present study was carried out to determine antioxidant activities of 14 edible plants using 1, 1- Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, total phenolic content using Folin-Ciocalteu method and total reducing power using ferric chloride reducing method. The best DPPH scavenging activity was observed in Costus speciosus 4.63 ±0.13 µg/mL. Murraya koenigii exhibited the highest total phenolic content with 137.39 ±1.35 EGA (mg)/extracts (g), and showed the best total reducing capacity. These experimental results reveal that all edible plant extracts tested show anti-oxidant activity and those uncommonly used plants have comparatively better activity than the commonly used edible greens.