Assessment of total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of methanol extract of Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) Backer ex K. Heyne.

Plants are rich in a variety of chemical compounds. Many are secondary metabolites including aromatic substances most of them are phenols or their oxygen substituted derivatives. Medicinal plants are also rich in antioxidant constituents such as phenols, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and flavonoids etc. They are found to acquire free radical scavenging activity and used worldwide for the treatment of various immune system dependent diseases. Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC) Backer ex K. Heyne (Caesalpiniaceae) is a beautiful ornamental tree, widely grown in tropical regions and its parts are used in traditional medicine as an effective therapeutic agent. Fresh pods of Peltophorum pterocarpum was evaluated for its antioxidant potential by using various methods including DPPH, superoxide anion, nitric oxide scavenging, and metal chelating activity. TPC via Folin-Ciocalteau’s reagent and anti haemolytic activity red blood cells respectively have also been measured. The methanol extract of pods of Peltophorum pterocarpum was found to possess the significant amount 439.21±0.17 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents) / g of TPC. The antioxidant potential of pods extract at mature stage showed potent activity and measured as, free radical scavenging activity 73.29±0.81%, superoxide anion scavenging activity 89.03±1.07%, nitric oxide scavenging activity 84.25±1.18%, and metal chelating activity 64.12±0.11%. The extract also showed potent anti haemolytic activity 79.09± 0.75%. Peltophorum pterocarpum exhibited strong but varying level of antioxidant and anti haemolytic activity in various methods along with total phenolic contents.