In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Cucurbita Maxima Aerial Parts

Introduction: Free radical induced oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases and disorders. Antioxidants play an important role against this oxidative stress to protect our body. The present study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant properties of methanol extract of C.maxima aerial parts (MECM). Methods: MECM was assayed on different in vitro free radical models like, DPPH, nitric oxide, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxide radical models. Reductive ability of the extract was also tested by the complex formation with potassium ferricyanide. Further total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the crude extract were also measured. Butylated hydroxy toluene was taken as standard. Result: The extract showed good dose dependent free radical scavenging activity in all the models. Reductive ability was also found to increase with increase in extract concentration. Determination of total phenolic and total flavonoids content showed that 1 gm of dry extract contains 66.70±3.60 mg equivalent of pyrocatechol and 26.50±1.40 mg equivalent of quercetin. Conclusion: All the results of the in vitro antioxidant assays revealed potent antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity of the aerial part of C.maxima, equivalent to that of standard BHT and this antioxidant property may be attributed to its high phenolic and flavonoid contents.