Antioxidant profiling of Garcinia talbotii Raizada ex. Santapau

Abstract

The genus Garcinia was originally classified under the family Guttiferae Juss. according to Bentham and Hooker’s system of classification. However, it has now been reclassified under the family Clusiaceae Lindl. according to the APG III system of classification. It is represented by over 400 species; 35 species are found in India and the rest are distributed in the tropics of the world. The Garcinia talbotii Raizada ex. Santapau is native and common in dry plains. It thrives in a monsoon climate characterised by a distinct dry season. The tree grows up to an elevation of 100-500 m in the Western Ghats. This plant genus has been used medicinally since ancient times. Traditional herbal treatments are becoming increasingly popular owing to their ease of use, low cost, and absence of side effects. Antioxidants are compounds that can neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, which can damage cells and contribute to various health issues, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and aging. Plants can deliver a huge number of differing bioactive compounds which may supplement the requirements of the human body by acting as natural antioxidants. The present study explores the antioxidant activity of Garcinia talbotii leaves, utilizing both aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts for analysis. DPPH:2,2-diphenyl-1-pirylhydrazyl free radicals scavenging assay, FRAP: Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay, Nitric oxide free radical scavenging activity, Phosphomolybdate and Hydrogen peroxide method were used to screen the antioxidant activity of the extracts and ascorbic acid was used as positive control. In the FRAP assay, the aqueous extract showed the highest antioxidant activity r² = 0.9062 compared to the standard and hydroalcoholic extract. In the hydrogen peroxide assay, the aqueous extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity r² = 0.9944 compared to both. In the nitric oxide assay, the aqueous extract again showed the highest antioxidant activity r² = 0.9859. In the phosphomolybdenum assay, the aqueous extract showed the highest activity r² = 0.9966, followed by the hydroalcoholic extract r² = 0.9438 and the standard r² = 0.9326. However, in the DPPH assay, the standard exhibited the highest antioxidant activity r² = 0.9870. The aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts showed significantly higher antioxidant activity compared to the standard.