Evaluation of antioxidant potentials of the methanolic leaf extracts of vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants commonly consumed in Kaduna state, Nigeria
Ahmed Bamidele, Adeola P Bamidele and Daniel A Nnate
The leaves of commonly consumed plants classified into vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants were extracted using methanol and investigated for antioxidant potential. Free radical scavenging activity was evaluated using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with ascorbic acid as standard. The plant leaves exhibited lower antioxidant activity compared to ascorbic acid with 97.47% inhibition and IC50 value of 8.06 ± 0.02 µg/mL. Among the plant extracts, Azadirachta indica (Neem plant) showed the highest antioxidant potential with IC50 value of 14.03 ± 0.06 µg/mL, followed by extract of Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter leaf), Moringa oleifera (Drumstick tree) and Ocimum gratissimum (Clove basil) with IC50 values of 14.53 ± 0.12 µg/mL, 14.88 ± 0.12 µg/mL and 16.89 ± 0.15 µg/mL respectively. The high antioxidant activity exhibited by these plant leaves validates their use in traditional medicine and source of nutrient in food; acting as a potential antioxidant for the prevention of free radical related diseases.
Ahmed Bamidele, Adeola P Bamidele, Daniel A Nnate. Evaluation of antioxidant potentials of the methanolic leaf extracts of vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants commonly consumed in Kaduna state, Nigeria. J Med Plants Stud 2017;5(1):388-393.