Determination of Antioxidant Activity of Various Extracts of Dracaena Spicata

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge of herbal medicines for skin diseases like boils, eczema, scabies, septic abscess, itching and skin allergy, burns, chicken pox, warts and leucoderma, fungal and bacterial infections, including healing cuts and wounds has been documented by randomly interviewing Chakma, Marma and Tanchangya tribes of the hill tracts districts of Bangladesh since 1995. The plant Dracaena spicata has been used for the general promotion of health and longevity by Asian tribal (especially Chakma, Marma and Tanchangya). It is used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases cough, syphilis, conjunctivitis, constipation; pills prepared from the leaves are taken with warm water twice daily for the treatment of measles by the Chakma etc. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of petroleum Ether, Dichloromethane and Methanol extract of Dracaena spicata. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH, Total Phenol and Total Flavonoid tests. The IC50 values of DPPH test were 120.2492, 127.1228 and 48.8535 μg/ml for Petroleum Ether, Dichloromethane Methanol consecutively. The Total Flavonoid contents were 68, 56.6667 and 94.3334 in mg/g equivalent to Quercetin for Petroleum Ether, Dichloromethane Methanol consecutively. The Total Phenol contents were 216.2, 82, 58.6 mg/g equivalent to Gallic acid for Petroleum Ether, Dichloromethane Methanol consecutively. By determining antioxidant property, the present result suggests that the tested plant extracts have potent antioxidant activity. In conclusion, further investigations are needed to identify the active constituents and the exact mechanism(s) of action responsible for the reported antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Dracaena spicata.