<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><italic>Citrullus colocynthis</italic> (L.) Schrad. (<italic>Cucurbitaceae</italic>) is a medicinal plant traditionally used as an abortifacient and to treat constipation, oedema, bacterial infections, cancer and diabetes. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant showed the presence of large amounts of phenolics and flavonoids. Subsequent quantification showed the presence of 0.74% (<italic>m/m</italic>) phenolics (calculated as gallic acid) and 0.13% (<italic>m/m</italic>) flavonoids calculated as catechin equivalents per 100 g of fresh mass. The presence of phenolic compounds prompted us to evaluate its antioxidant activity. In the present study, methanolic fruit extract of <italic>C. colocynthis</italic> was screened to evaluate its freeradical scavenging effect. The highest antioxidant and free radical scavenging ability of the fruit extract was observed at a concentration of 2500 μg mL<sup>-1.</sup></p></abstract>

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used as an abortifacient and to treat constipation, oedema, bacterial infections, cancer and diabetes. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant showed the presence of large amounts of phenolics and flavonoids. Subsequent quantification showed the presence of 0.74% (m/m) phenolics (calculated as gallic acid) and 0.13% (m/m) flavonoids calculated as catechin equivalents per 100 g of fresh mass. The presence of phenolic compounds prompted us to evaluate its antioxidant activity. In the present study, methanolic fruit extract of C. colocynthis was screened to evaluate its freeradical scavenging effect. The highest antioxidant and free radical scavenging ability of the fruit extract was observed at a concentration of 2500 μg mL-1.

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging potential of <italic>Citrullus colocynthis</italic> (L.) Schrad. methanolic fruit extract

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136119 Haryana, India

Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136119 Haryana, India

Acta Pharmaceutica

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging potential of  (L.) Schrad. methanolic fruit extract

Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used as an abortifacient and to treat constipation, oedema, bacterial...

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging potential of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. methanolic fruit extract

Published Online: May 30, 2008

Page range: 215 - 220

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10007-008-0008-1

Keywords
plod biljke ), metanolni ekstrakt, antioksidansi, hvatanje slobodnih radikala

This content is open access.