in vitro antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of root extracts from phragmanthera glaucocarpa (peyr.) balle

Background: africa has a rich diversity of plant species, which can be considered important sources of new chemical compounds that can be used in the development of novel therapeutic drugs. objectives: the present study aimed at investigating the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of extracts obtained from the roots of phragmanthera glaucocarpa (peyr.) balle, a plant used in angola folk medicine. methods: the prepared extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity using abts (2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid), dpph (1’,1’-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), and peroxide value methods. total phenolics were evaluated by the folin- ciocalteu method. results: for abts, the best ec50 result was obtained with the ethyl acetate fraction (1.06±0.30 mg/ml). for the dpph method, the methanol extract and aqueous fraction presented the best ec50 results, 0.10±0.01 mg/ml and 0.10±0.00 mg/ml, respectively. the ethyl acetate fraction had the highest phenolic content (280.42 ± 0.15 mg g.a.e. /g of dry extract). the best result for the peroxide reduction value on the eighth day of sunflower oil oxidation was obtained for the aqueous fraction, with 131.40±1.05 meq o2/g of lipid sample. conclusions: the results of the present study demonstrate that the roots of the medicinal plant phragmanthera glaucocarpa (peyr.) balle represent a promising source of natural phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity.