Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Some Medicinal Plants in Urticaceae Family
Keywords:
Elatostema umbellatum; Pilea microphylla; Urtica dioica; DPPH radical scavenging; Total phenolic content.Abstract
Fifteen different extracts from the leaves of Urtica dioica, Pilea microphylla and Elatostema umbellatum were examined for phenolics content and free radical scavenging capacity, to determine their potential as a source of natural antioxidants. The highest DPPH radical scavenging percentages were showed by the butanol and ethyl acetate extracts Urtica dioica that are 62.537 ± 5.069% and 62.177 ± 2.987% at concentration 1000 μg/ml, respectively. Total phenolic content ranged from 0.24 ± 0.15 to 100.30 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid/g dry weight. The ethyl acetate extract of Urtica dioica
exhibited the lowest EC50 value (100.10 μg/ml). The result indicated that the antioxidant activity was not correlated with the phenolics content suggested that non-phenolic compounds might play major free radicals scavenging activity in
studied plant materials.
