Antioxidants are radical scavengers, which protect the human body against free radicals that may cause pathological conditions such as ischemia, anaemia, asthma, arthritis, inflammation, neuro-degenertion, Parkinson'sdiseases, mongolism, ageing process. Antioxidant compounds in food play an important role as a health protecting factor. A lot of research is being carried out worldwide directed toward finding natural antioxidants of plant origin. Free radicals may be defined as any chemical species that are capable of existing with one or more unpaired outer shell electrons. They are extremely reactive and generally highly unstable. Reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, and singlet oxygen are of the greatest biological significance. Methanolic extracts of the plant Citrullus fistulosus linn was investigated for its free radical scavenging property by different in-vitro models i.e. 1,1-diphenyl-2 picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), and reducing power. In both the models the metabolic extract of Citrullus fistulosus shown significant antioxidant activity in a dose dependent manner. In reducing power method the EC50 value of standard (Ascorbic acid) was found to be 90µg whereas methanolic extract of Citrullus fistulosus fruit was found to be 145µg. In DPPH Free radical scavenging activity the EC50 value of standard (Ascorbic acid) was found to be 43µg whereas EC50 value for fruit extract was found to be 70µg. It is evident from our study that the methanolic fractions have shown dose dependent increase in free radical scavenging activity.
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