Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of in-vitro Anti-oxidant Activity of Extracts of Ixora javanica D. C Flowers

Abstract

Introduction: Fruits and vegetables are the sources of nutraceutical compounds in human diet. However, flowers with their pigments rich in phenolics (phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins) are becoming an important source of several bioactive compounds. Objective: To identify the compounds in Ixora javanica flowers and to test the in vitro antioxidant activity. Materials and Methods: Ixora javanica flowers were collected, dried, powdered and extracted with solvents like petroleum ether (60-80°), ethyl acetate and ethanol, of increasing polarity by soxhilation. The phytochemical investigation and the determination of their use in traditional medicine, identified families of chemical compounds that guided us towards pharmacological studies like in vitro anti-oxidant activity. The crude extracts were tested for chemical identification of groups following the methods of Plummer, Trease and Evans etc. The in vitro antioxidant activity was tested throw DPPH free radical scavenging, superoxide radical scavenging and nitric oxide scavenging methods. Results: The overall results of the phytochemical screening showed the presence of active constituents like flavonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, etc. The antioxidant potential of the ethanolic extract was high, whereas the ethyl acetate extract showed moderate activity and the petroleum ether extract showed poor activity. Conclusion: The in-vitro anti-oxidant potential of the flower extracts is high. Further research is needed to be carried out to isolate and characterize the active constituents and to proceed for the in-vivo anti-oxidant activity also.