To Estimate the Amount of Total Phenolics and Antioxidant Activity in Water Extract of Centipedegrass (Eremochloa Ophiuroides)

The Poaceae (also called Gramineae or true grasses) are a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. With more than 10,000 domesticated and wild species, the Poaceae represent the fifth-largest plant family, following the Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. Some of the grass species have been proved to show therapeutic effect and have been effective in treatment of inflammation and sclerosis as they contain bioactive components called antioxidants which delay or prevent the oxidation of cellular substrates. These antioxidants exert their effect by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) or preventing their generation. ROS are usually generated in physiological processes to produce energy and metabolites or to generate defenses against invasive microorganisms but can also cause oxidative damage associated with many degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Polyphenols like flavonoids and phenolic acids are one of the most important natural antioxidants present in this grass family. Examples of flavonoids are glycosides of apigenin, luteolin and tricin and examples of phenolic acids are ferulic acid, caffeic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. These compounds show a wide spectrum of chemical and biological activities including radical scavenging activity. This paper will discuss the total content of phenolic compounds present in the sample of Centipedegrass (Eremochloa Ophiuroides) species of Poaceae family grass by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The paper will also highlight the total flavonoid content with the help of aluminium chloride colorimetric method. The results indicated that centipede grass is a good natural source of antioxidant compounds for use in food and pharmaceutical industry.