Evaluation of In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Stem Bark Extract of Lophira Lanceolata (Ochanaceae) Van Tiegh Ex Keay

Abstract

Plants have been the mainstay of many traditional cultures for their low cost and wide accessibility for preventive and therapeutic uses. Lophira lanceolata van tiegh ex keay. is a plant belonging to the family Ochnaceae. It is a medicinal plant commonly used in west and central African regions. In Nigeria it is found in the North western region. This plant is well known and has been employed in the treatment of dermatosis, toothache, arthritis, headache, Cardiovascular diseases and many others. In this study, the in vitro antioxidant activity of the methanolic stem bark extract of L. Lanceolata methanolic leaf extract was investigated by determining the total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity using varied concentrations (31.25-500µg/ml) of the plant extract at absorbance of 515nm using ELISA plate reader. Ascorbic acid was used as the standard. From the results of the study, preliminary phytochemical screening indicated the presence of major Phyto-compounds like Flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids and saponins. The highest absorbance value that presents with the highest concentration revealed that the plant possesses radical scavenging activities. The present study indicates that, Lophira lanceolata has significant antioxidant activity and thus, support the claimed ethnomedical uses of the plant in the management of conditions associated with oxidative stress.