Antioxidant Potentials And Alphaamylase Inhibitory Activity Of Ethanol Extracts Of Three Dark Green Vegetables: Vernonia Colorata, Ocinium Gratissimuni And Pterocarpus Santalinoides

ABSTRACT

 Antioxidants are mainly used for two different groups of substances; industrial chemicals which are added to products to prevent oxidation and natural chemicals found in foods and body tissues which are said to be beneficial health effects. Alpha-Amylase activity is present in all living organisms; however, the enzymes vary remarkably even from tissue to tissue within a single species. The study is aimed at evaluating the antioxidant potentials and aipha-amylase inhibitory activity of ethanol extracts of three dark green vegetables Vernonia colorata, Ocimum gratissimum and Pterocarpus santalinoides. Ocirnum graissimum showed a significant inhibitory effect of 35ig/ml on alpha amylase enzyme compared with the acarbose (18tg/ml). Of all the plant extracts Pterocarpus santalinoides showed significant antioxidant activity (36,500rngTAE/g) compared to the other plants with 20,300mgTAE/g and 1 5,200mgTAE/g respectively. Ocirnum gratissim urn showed a significant free radical scavenging activity compared with other plant extracts. From the findings, these tree dark green vegetables studied can be considered as good source of pharmacologically important phyto-constituents which possess strong antioxidant activities and its alpha amylase inhibitory activity may contribute to its earlier observed anti-diabetic potentials.