ISSN 2326-7275
International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (12), pp. 001-011, December, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Antioxidant properties of crude and fractionated extracts of Alpinia mutica rhizomes and their total phenolic content
Chung-Weng Phang1, Sri Nurestri Abd Malek1*, Halijah Ibrahim1 and Norhanom Abdul Wahab2
1Faculty of Science, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2Centre for Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Accepted 21 June, 2018
Abstract
In the present study, the antioxidant potential of the crude methanol and its fractionated extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate and water) of the rhizomes of Alpinia mutica was investigated, employing four different assays. The antioxidant assays used were 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, b-carotene bleaching, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the reducing power assays while the total phenolic content was assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant property in comparison to the other extracts against all assays conducted. The ethyl acetate fraction displayed better antioxidant activity in comparison to the standard compound, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and ascorbic acid in the b- carotene linoleate model system and the SOD assay. The ethyl acetate fraction was also found to have the highest phenolic content among the extract and fractions. The phenolic compounds present in the ethyl acetate fraction may have contributed to the good antioxidant properties of the ethyl acetate fraction. In conclusion, the rhizome extract of A. mutica especially the ethyl acetate fraction possesses good antioxidant activity and can be potentially used as natural antioxidants.
Key words: Alpinia mutica, antioxidant, radical scavenger, flavonoid, total phenolic content.