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Published on: August 23, 2024
Antioxidant activity of Caesalpinia digyna root
R Srinivasan1, M J N Chandrasekar, M J Nanjan
1TIFAC CORE in Herbal Drugs, JSS College of Pharmacy, Ootacamund 643001, The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
|August 10, 2007
Summary
Caesalpinia digyna root extract demonstrates potent antioxidant activity, effectively scavenging free radicals and protecting against oxidative stress in vivo. This validates its traditional use and highlights significant therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Natural Product Chemistry
Background:
- Traditional ethnomedical uses of Caesalpinia digyna root suggest potential health benefits.
- Understanding the scientific basis for these traditional claims requires rigorous investigation of the plant's bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the antioxidant properties of Caesalpinia digyna root extracts and its isolated compound, bergenin.
- To investigate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant effects of the most potent extract.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of successive methanol extracts of Caesalpinia digyna root.
- In vitro antioxidant assays including DPPH, ABTS, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and lipid peroxidation inhibition.
- In vivo study involving oral administration to rats followed by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) challenge to assess effects on antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD) and lipid peroxidation (LPO).
Main Results:
- The successive methanol extract of Caesalpinia digyna root (CDM) exhibited significant free radical scavenging activity comparable to reference antioxidants.
- CDM demonstrated strong inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
- In vivo, CDM administration significantly increased catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels while decreasing lipid peroxidation (LPO) in a dose-dependent manner, offering protection against CCl4-induced oxidative damage.
Conclusions:
- Caesalpinia digyna root possesses strong antioxidant properties, supported by both in vitro and in vivo evidence.
- The findings validate the ethnomedical claims and reported biological activities of the plant.
- Caesalpinia digyna root demonstrates considerable therapeutic potential as a natural antioxidant agent.
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