ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND PHENOLIC CONTENT OF PIPER WALLICHII (MIQ.) HAND.- MAZZ.

The antioxidant activities of ethanol, methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether extracts from the fruit of Piper wallichii (Miq.) Hand.-Mazz. were investigated using different in vitro antioxidant assays. The methanol extract showed the most potent scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) hydrogen peroxide, hydroxy radical, and reducing power assays with EC50 values of 46.70 +/- 0.85, 41.7 +/- 0.74, 45.23 +/- 2.02, 49.30 +/- 1.15, 40.39 +/- 1.92, and 50.21 +/- 1.2 g/ml, respectively. The total phenolic content and the total flavonoids content were also determined. The methanol extract showed the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoids content, followed by the chloroform extract. This study revealed that the methanol extract had the strongest antioxidant activities, which were correlated with its high level of phenolic and flavonoids content.