ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF THE METHANOL EXTRACTS OF LEAF, STEM, FRUIT AND SEED OF NIGERIAN HARUNGANA MADAGASCARIENSIS, AN HYPERICACEAE (GUTIFERAE)

*Moronkola D.O., 2Yeboah S.O., Majinda R.R.T., 2Yeboah E., Fru C.G. and Osamudiamen P.M.

ABSTRACT

The leaf, stem, fruit and seed of Nigerian Harungana madagascariensis (an Hypericaceae), were exhaustively extracted with methanol to obtain their methanol extracts designated as MHmL, MHmSt, MHmF and MHmSd respectively. The extracts were subjected to assessment of their antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), while Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) were used as standards. The four methanol extracts displayed higher antioxidant activity than Vit E., while the stem methanol extract (MHmSt), showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.0250 (mg/mL) among the four. These results provide substantial basis for the ethno-medicinal applications of the plant. The long-term aim of our present research seeks at discovering new natural antioxidant compounds from this highly ethno-medicinally utilized plant.

Keywords: Harungana madagascariensis, Hypericaceae, Antioxidant, DPPH.