A study on the phytochemistry and antioxidant effect of methanolic extract of Citrullus lanatus seed

Antioxidants of natural origin are safe for the prevention and progression of various diseases. Citrullus lanatus seeds that are traditionally in use can be employed as a natural antioxidant protecting from various ailments. The present study was performed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential of C. lanatus seed methanol extract (CLS) and to determine the phytochemicals responsible for its activity. The antioxidant activity of CLS was analyzed by DPPH and LPO radical scavenging assays and conventional methods were adopted for quantifying the primary and secondary metabolites in the extract. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of bioactive compounds like phenols, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins and steroids. Phenolic content of the extract was 6.45±0.05 GE/g, followed by tannins 5.92±0.15 GE/g and flavonoids 1.30±0.09 QE/g. IC50 values for the antioxidant activity were 28.77 μg/ml and 123.8 μg/ml for DPPH and lipid peroxidation assay respectively. The study hence confirms C. lanatus seed as a potential source of natural antioxidant and therefore an evidence for its ethnomedicinal usage.

Author(s): Jayavelu Sathya and Francis Gricilda Shoba*

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