In Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Methanolic Extracts of Caesalpinia volkensii Harms., Vernonia lasiopus O. Hoffm., and Acacia hockii De Wild
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Date
2020
Authors
Guchu, Beatrice Muthoni
Machocho, Alex King’ori
Mwihia, Stephen Kiruthi
Ngugi, Mathew Piero
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi
Abstract
Oxidative stress is the result of the disparity between pro-oxidants and antioxidants in an organism, and it is important in the
pathogenesis of several degenerative disorders, such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Free radicals can
damage biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, lipids, proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and carbohydrates, and the DNA leading
to mutations. &e use of antioxidants is effective in delaying the oxidation of biomolecules. Antioxidants are complexes found in
the food that can retard or deter oxidation by preventing the initiation and propagation of oxidizing chain reactions. Medicinal
plants have been used for centuries by man to manage diseases and have a host of antioxidant complexes. Traditionally,
Caesalpinia volkensii, Vernonia lasiopus, and Acacia hockii have folkloric remedies against associated oxidative stress-mediated
complications. However, the upsurge in its use has not been accompanied by scientific validations to support these claims. In this
study, in vitro antioxidant activity of Caesalpinia volkensii, Vernonia lasiopus, and Acacia hockii collected from Embu County
(Kenya) were determined by radical scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical in
addition to ferric reducing antioxidant power analyzed against that of L-ascorbic acid as the standard. &e obtained results
revealed remarkable antioxidant activities of the studied plant extracts as evidenced by the low IC50 and EC50 values. &ese
antioxidant activities could be due to the presence of antioxidants phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, and
saponins among others. &erefore, the therapeutic potential of this plant could be due to their antioxidant properties. &is study
recommends bioassay of the extracts against oxidative stress-related disorders for development of phytomedicine with
antioxidant properties
Description
A research article published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Keywords
Methanolic Extracts, Caesalpinia volkensii Harms, Vernonia lasiopus O. Hoffm, Acacia hockii De Wild
Citation
Muthoni Guchu, B., Machocho, A. K. O., Mwihia, S. K., & Ngugi, M. P. (2020). In Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Methanolic Extracts of Caesalpinia volkensii Harms., Vernonia lasiopus O. Hoffm., and Acacia hockii De Wild. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020.