Genotoxic and antioxidant potential of methanolic and chloroformic extract of Schweinfurthia papilionacea (L.) Boiss

The genotoxic and antioxidant activities of methanolic and chloroform extracts of Schweinfurthia papilionacea (L.) Boiss was assessed using a comet assay on human lymphocyte genomic DNA and a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay. The genotoxic activity of S. papilionacea showed that the methanolic extract exhibited dose-dependent genoprotection, i.e. 60.5 at 75 mg 100mL-1 and 103.6 at 100 mg 100mL-1, while the chloroform extract exhibited dose-dependent genoprotection, 92.2 at 75 mg/100mL and 109.7 at 100 mg 100mL-1. The antioxidant activity revealed that the methanolic extract of S. papilionacea showed the highest antioxidant activity (63.36 %) at 150 mg mL-1, while the chloroform extract of S. papilionacea exhibited the highest (% ) antioxidant activity (58.42 % ) at 150 µg mL-1, but less than the standard drug ascorbic acid (AA) (78.35 % ). The present results showed that S. papilionacea possess genoprotective and antioxidant properties and can be used to treat several diseases. However, further studies are also needed to understand the radical-scavenging and metal-chelating activities of plants in a concentration-dependent manner.