Quantification of phytochemicals and in vitro antioxidant activities from various parts of Euphorbia neriifolia Linn.

This study aims to investigate the phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of the leaf, stem, latex, and bark of Euphorbia neriifolia (EN) Linn. using the solvent extraction method with petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous extracts. Total tannin content, total saponin content, total flavonoid content, total phenol content, and total flavonol content were investigated using spectrophotometric equivalents of the standards, tannic acid, quillaja, quercetin, gallic acid, and rutin, respectively. The EN extracts of various parts were screened for potential antioxidant activities by hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay (H2O2), ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH), metal chelation assay, nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide (SO) scavenging methods. The quantitative analysis of phytochemicals from EN revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, phenols, and flavonols in considerable amounts. The in vitro antioxidant assay of EN determined that the leaf, stem, latex, and bark have prominent antioxidant potential. The results showed that all the plant parts possessed antioxidant properties which were strongly correlated with the phytoconstituents. From the present study, it can be concluded that the mean content of phytochemicals in the case of EN leaf is greater than the stem, latex, and bark of the plant and this may have contributed to its great antioxidant properties. This may also justify the frequent use of the leaf more than the stem, latex, and bark in the traditional medicinal systems for the cure of bronchial infections, abdominal swellings, inflammation, pain, and tumor.