In vitro antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of soybeans (glycine max [l.] merill) seeds

Introduction: Soybean is widely grown for its edible bean. It is a legume that grows in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates of Nigeria. It has been shown to contain a number of antioxidants that are used in preventing and treating chronic diseases. Aims: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of soybean seed using the following assays: DPPH (2,2 diphenyl-2-picryhydrazylhydrate) scavenging activity assay, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging activity assay, inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity assay, reducing power capacity assay, and antioxidant enzyme assay, which include superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity assay. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the antioxidant activities of ethanol extract of soybeans seed were determined spectrophotometrically using methods that include 2, 2-diphenyl-picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging activity assay, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity assay, inhibition of lipid peroxidation assay, reducing power activity assay, peroxidation assay, and catalase and SOD activity assays. Results: The result of the DPPH scavenging activity revealed that the soybean extract has an EC50 value of 1053.542 μg/ml, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity with an EC50 of 420.1852 μg/ml, and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation of soybeans extract had an IC50 of 1168.771 μg/ml. The reducing power activity of the soybeans extract had an OD0.5 of 484U/mg, catalase activity of 0.12985 U/mg, and SOD activity of 0.004125 U/mg. The EC50/IC50/OD0.5 obtained for the standard butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA) was lower than those of the soybeans extract. Conclusions: The use of soybean as a source of natural antioxidants should be promoted since soybean component can inhibit lipid peroxidation and protect the human body from the oxidative damages by free radicals. Hence, the dietary intake of soybean can be linked to prevention and management of certain diseases.