Phytochemical Investigation and Invitro Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of Mucuna Pruriens Root

The phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity of Mucuna pruriens root was determined via in vitro model. The extraction from the plant roots was using different solvents (distilled water, petroleum ether, ethylacetate, methanol and ethanol) in soxhlet extractor apparatus. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of Mucuna pruriens root extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, Steroids, phenolic compounds and tannis in all solvent root extracts except in petroleum ether while terpenoids was absent only in water extract. Quinones were present in petroleum ether, ethylacetate and ethanolic extracts and saponin was found only in ethanolic extract. The total phenolic and total flavonoid content of the methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts were estimated spectrophotometrically using tannic acid and quercetine respectively as standard. The total phenolic content obtained from methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts were 27.40±0.17, 30.66±2.68 and 45.95±2.68µg/g respectively of tannic acid equivalent while that for flavonoid content were 96.31±0.06, 60.79±0.79 and 58.26±1.23µg/g respectively of quercetin equivalent from methanolic, ethanolic and water extracts respectively. Furthermore, invitro antioxidant activity of both the methanolic and ethylacetate extracts of Mucuna pruriens root were carried out using ascorbic acid as standard. The methanolic extract showed antioxidant activity in scavenging a DPPH radical with a maximum percentage inhibition of 66.78% at 250 µg/ml that of ethylacetate extract was 66.27% whereas for the ascorbic acid, it was 71.35% at 250µg/ml. The IC50 was calculated graphically and the result obtained are 154 µg/ml, 165 µg/ml and 122 µg/ml respectively. The invitro models indicate that Mucuna pruriens root extract is a better source of natural antioxidant. This justifies its application in traditional and herbal medicine in the treatment of various diseases and correction of sexual anomaly such as erectile dysfunction caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS).