Antioxidant assay of Rumex vesicarius L.

The main characteristic of an antioxidant is its ability to trap free radicals and also reduces the risk of chronic diseases. The information on antioxidant properties of various natural sources is still rather scared. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and to compare the antioxidant activity of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Rumex vesicarius L. (Polygonaceae) by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and total antioxidant capacity by Phospomolybdenum method. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the extracts possess flavonoids, phenols, tannins and saponins. The extracts showed significant antioxidant activity, on compared to standard antioxidant in a dose dependent manner. The ethyl acetate extract showed maximum inhibition percent of 94.82, followed by other extracts while hexane extract showed minimum inhibition percent of 76.40 at same concentration of 1000µg/ml. Compared with positive standard Quercitin and vitamin E. The results suggest that the extracts can be a vital source of antioxidant phytochemical.