ABSTRACT:
Medicinal plants are rich sources of natural antioxidants which are used in the prevention and treatment of diseases like atherosclerosis, heart stroke, diabetes, cancer and to delay the process of aging. Antioxidants are the chemicals which scavenge the free radicals and help in preventing and treatment of several diseases. Human body produces oxygen free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) as by products through numerous physiological and biochemical processes. In the present study, antioxidant activity of rind extracts of Citrus reticulate x Citrus paradise (Ugli Fruit) was evaluated in vitro using DPPH, Nitric oxide, Hydrogen peroxide, Super oxide dismutase free radical scavenging methods. Different concentrations of test samples (ethanolic extracts) i.e. 50 µg/ml, 100 µg/ml, 250 µg/ml, 500 µg/ml and 1000 µg/ml were taken and each of the samples were analysed for their antioxidant status. Different concentrations of ethanolic extracts showed radical scavenging activity of which DPPH assay showed an IC50 value of about 18.9. The nitric oxide scavenging activity compared with Ascorbic acid and the IC50 values were found to be 46.59 µg/ml (Ascorbic acid) and 395.94 (Ugli fruit extract). The Ugli fruit extract was capable of scavenging hydrogenperoxide in a dose dependent manner. In superoxide dismutase assay, ascorbic acid is used as a standard and the ethanolic extract shows a better antioxidant property. Thus this study suggests that Citrus reticulate x Citrus paradise is an effective plant in terms of antioxidant potential that can be exploited for development of plant based antioxidant formulations.