Effect of Extraction Solvents on Phytochemical Studies and In vitro Antioxidant Properties of Moringa oleifera and Tinospora cordifolia

Abstract Background: Moringa oleifera and Tinospora cordifolia are important plants used in different ailments in Ayurvedic medicine. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of different solvents on the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of leaves of M. oleifera and the stem of T. cordifolia . Materials and Methods: Five different types of extracts, i.e., methanolic (M), ethanolic (E), aqueous (A), 50% methanolic (aqua-methanolic) and 40% ethanolic (aqua-ethanolic) of leaves of M. oleifera and stem of T. cordifolia were prepared and evaluated for different types of in vitro phytochemical and antioxidant properties. The phytochemicals such as phenols, flavonoids, tannin, and nontannin were determined quantitatively. The antioxidant property of the extracts was evaluated using in vitro assays, i.e., 2,2’- azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS. +), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide radical scavenging. Results: In phytochemical analysis, the total phenolic contents were found to be maximum in aqueous extract of leaves of M. oleifera (54.91 ± 2.63 mg of GAE/g extract) and the total flavonoid contents were found to be maximum in ethanolic extract of leaves of M. oleifera (74.57 ± 2.18 mg quercetin equivalent/g extract). All the extracts scavenged in vitro radicals, i.e., ABTS and DPPH, in a concentration-dependent manner. It was found that aqueous extract of leaves of M. oleifera and methanolic extract of stem of T. cordifolia show maximum antioxidant activities. Conclusion: Aqueous extract of M. oleifera leaves and methanolic extract of T. cordifolia stems show maximum antioxidant activities compared to other extracts used in this study.