EVALUATION OF IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF METHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF THE FERNS, ACTINIOPTERIS RADIATA (SW) LINK. AND EQUISETUM RAMOSISSIMUM DESF.

Abstract

Present study reports the antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts of Actiniopteris radiata and Equisetum ramosissimum. The analyses carried out were DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS·+, reducing power, and ferrous ion chelating tests. From the analyses, Actiniopteris radiata and Equisetum ramosissimum, were found to have potent antioxidant activity against DPPH with the IC50 value of 93.48 and 78.58 respectively. Actiniopteris radiata had the highest values for ABTS·+ radical scavenging activity (2523.11µ TE/g) and reducing power assay (0.853 absorbance at 700µg/ml). However, the fern, Equisetum ramosissimum exhibited higher ferrous iron chelating activity (41.18% at 5000µg/ml) than Actiniopteris radiata. Thus the results obtained in the present study indicate that these plants have the potential as natural source of antioxidants, capable of protecting against free radical mediated damage and may have applications in preventing and curing various diseases.