Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology

Free radicals are constantly formed in the cell causing oxidative stress when the precarious balance is broken, in favour of free radicals proceeding to variety of pathophysiological disorders. Antioxidants that can scavenge free radicals are thus effective in ameliorating the progress of oxidative damage. The present study was designed to estimate phenolics and flavonoids present and to evaluate the antiradical activity of Justicia wynaadensis leaf extracts. Series of in vitro models like DPPH, lipid peroxidation, reducing ability, superoxide scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, hydroxyl scavenging and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity were employed to assess the antioxidant activity of different extracts of J. wynaadensis. Few fractions of J. wynaadensis leaf extracts showed antioxidant activity comparable to that of the standards such as BHT, Ascorbic acid, Quercetin, Curcumin and Mannitol to certain extent. The in vitro assays revealed the effective antioxidant and free radical scavenging capacity of the leaf extract of J. wynaadensis.