Evaluation of Antioxidant Capacity and Safety Profile of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts.

ABSTRACT: Medicinal plants are widely recognised for their medicinal benefits, notably due to their bioactive phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity. The aim of the study is to investigate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effect of medicinal plants Ferula asafoetida Linn., Hyoscyamus niger Linn, Matricaria chamomilla Linn, Styrax benzoin Dryland., and Sesamum indicum Linn. Hydroalcoholic extracts of the medicinal plants were extracted using Soxhlet apparatus. Phytochemical screening was performed to identify the secondary metabolites. Quantitative analysis of protein, carbohydrates, total phenolic content (TPC) and flavonoids content (TFC). Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay, Lipid peroxidation assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power assay and DNA damage protection against the oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide. The toxicity evaluation is measured by the HET-CAM (Hen’s Egg Test – Chorioallantoic Membrane) assay. The functional group detection is done by the FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy for better exposure to the identification of bioactive compounds. The results show that the phytochemical content of these plant extracts is dose dependent as the concentration of these extracts increases the phytochemical increase and eventually the antioxidant activity also increases. This notable behavior of these extracts aligns with the published data and suggests the efficiency of these plants in terms of therapeutics and health care.